According to Rho, a key feature of Korea’s healthcare system is how easily people can access medical services, even for minor issues. This is because there are many local clinics and relatively low-cost treatment is covered by national health insurance.
Because of this, patients visiting psychiatric clinics often start taking psychotropic medications prescribed by the doctor easily and without any suspicion. This background seems to be influenced by the pressure to quickly relieve symptoms with medication and return to daily responsibilities, rather than committing to fundamental treatments that take a longer time.
“Recently, with the increase in the number of psychiatric clinics, the public confession of mental illness by celebrities, and the frequent exposure of mental health content in the media, the negative perception of mental illness has relatively improved compared to the past,” Rho said. “However, hearing the phrase ‘mental illness’ or ‘taking psychotropic medication’ still often conjures up images of severely ill schizophrenia patients hospitalized in a mental institution. Due to this stigma, many patients adopt a very passive attitude when visiting the doctor, hesitate to share their stories, and some even refuse to engage in counseling or discuss other management methods, simply asking for medication.”
Even with doctors, patients may act defensively and hide their symptoms from family and friends. Rho believes that if more patients had felt comfortable asking for help early on, they might not have depended on medication as the main solution.
However, because the caution about psychotropic drugs still lingers, this means some people still approach medication carefully instead of taking it rashly. Rho is, however, worried about media portrayals that make these medications seem as harmless as over-the-counter cold medicine.
Rho hopes to see change not only in South Korea but in how mental health care is handled worldwide.
“Treating psychiatric disorders solely by focusing on the brain is based on unproven hypothesis, and relying only on neurotransmitter regulation needs reevaluation,” Rho said. “Effective psychiatric care should be multi-faceted and consider the whole person—their body, life experiences, and environment — rather than focusing only on the brain. Unlike other illnesses, mental disorders require a broader, more holistic approach.”
