29th March, 2023, by Branden J (G.12)

Being a high school student is certainly stressful — in addition to academic pressure, the stress also  comes in the form of social and peer pressure. Mental distress  The strain can cause emotional and mental distress, which is just as crucial as physical wellbeing. Therefore, schools need to pay more attention to our mental health awareness in order to not let individuals with poor mental health struggle silently, misunderstood or neglected.

According to a research on Nars, The number of patients who have received treatment regarding mental illness among Korean adolescents over the past five years has been steadily increasing from 220,587 in 2016 to 271,557 in 2020.

Since the data proves mental health problems are severe in Korea, there should be a promotion of mental health awareness in schools. 

According to a research named “Mental health education: An intervention on stigma on help-seeking behavior among adolescents”, students who have received a mental health education intervention are found to have reduced their self–stigma and social stigma. 

Recently, there was a friend who personally revealed the challenges he faced while secretly suffering from mental health struggles in his middle school. Since many of his peers would judge or stigmatize him for such a problem that he has, he did not talk to anyone about the problem at school. He was isolated from many people as a result. However, when one day he was able to access a place where many r, and a free atmosphere to talk about those issues, I could learn from his experiences that reducing stigma and fostering a supportive environment is vital. 

And indeed, especially in Korea, people with mental illnesses are not being treated well. According to a survey from Hankook research, which tested how much respect people with mental disorders within the community are respected by their friends and neighbors, 83% of the participators said they were not respected. 

Considering such elements, schools in Global Education City can even expand the currently available counseling services to a certain extent. Taking this into account cases like my friend’s , teachers can further encourage students to talk about mental stresses they are going through. 

Works Cited

Hong, Sejeong. “[기획] 정신질환에 대한 인식.” 한국리서치 정기조사 여론속의 여론, 21 Apr. 2022, hrcopinion.co.kr/archives/11837. 

Liquid, Maria Junnah Acma, and Sunshine Ramilo Cuartero. “Mental Health Education: An Intervention on Stigma on Help-Seeking Behavior among Adolescents.” Insight: Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi, ejurnal.mercubuana-yogya.ac.id/index.php/psikologi/article/view/2228.

Son, Ryeokhoon. “기사출력서비스.” 메디포뉴스, www.medifonews.com/news/article_print.html?no=160331.