By 3WM

3wm has continued to hear stories about the mental health issues of Koreans and foreigners who are mostly living in Seoul.  We’ve also run a number of stories about issues of mental health here from student writer Matt Choi’s “Why We Korean Teens are Killing Ourselves,” to Iwazaru’s “Suicide in Korea:  Kaist and the Many Thousands More.”

A recent article by Mark McDonald in the International Herald Tribune titled “Stressed and Depressed, Koreans Avoid Therapy” offered a glimpse at the taboo that is psychotherapy in Korea.  It begins:

“SEOUL — It can sometimes feel as if South Korea, overworked, overstressed and ever anxious, is on the verge of a national nervous breakdown, with a rising divorce rate, students who feel suffocated by academic pressures, a suicide rate among the highest in the world and a macho corporate culture that still encourages blackout drinking sessions after work.”

3WM hopes that these issues will be discussed more and welcomes any contributors who’d like to lend their voice or experience to this issue.  Confidentiality is guaranteed if requested.  Contact 3wmseoul@gmail.com

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