Poor mental health, suicidal thoughts plague reclusive youth

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday, 75.4 percent of respondents between the ages of 19 and 39, who classified themselves as "social recluses," said they had thought about committing suicide.

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Almost eight out of ten reclusive youths in Korea have contemplated suicide.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday, 75.4 percent of respondents between the ages of 19 and 39, who classified themselves as "social recluses," said they had thought about committing suicide.

Social recluses, or “recluse loners,” as the government has dubbed them, refer to those who voluntarily withdraw from society by locking themselves in their homes for months and even years.

In the ministry's latest survey conducted from July to August this year, 21,360 people in their 20s and 30s responded that they feel secluded and isolated.

The highest number of respondents, accounting for 26.3 percent, said they were in a reclusive state for one to three years, while 6.1 percent said they stayed reclusive for over a decade. Those who did not even come out of their rooms accounted for 5.7 percent.

By age, those between 25 and 29 accounted for the most at 37 percent, followed by those from 30 to 34 at 32.4 percent.

Over 70 percent of the respondents to the survey were women.

The most widespread causes for them to stay isolated were failing to get employed, interpersonal relationships, and family relationships.

Over half of the respondents suffered from poor mental health, at 63.7 percent.

Notably, 75.4 percent expressed having considered suicide, and 26.7 percent reported actual suicide attempts. This figure is overwhelmingly higher compared to the overall youth population, where 2.3 percent have considered suicide attempts, according to a survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs last year.

However, most respondents longed to overcome and escape from isolation and seclusion.

Among those in a state of isolation and seclusion, 80.8 percent said they wanted to escape their current situation, while 67.2 percent had attempted to break free from isolation.

However, 45.6 percent of the respondents said their attempts were in vain for multiple reasons, including lack of money and time.

Experts believe the social cost of neglecting isolated and reclusive youths will amount to approximately 7 trillion won ($5.3 billion).

According to a study released in August by the Korea Youth Foundation and Yonsei University researchers, the economic loss due to the abandonment of economic activities by isolated and secluded youth is around 6.7 trillion won annually. Welfare costs incurred due to health deterioration and poverty amount to approximately 200 billion won a year.

Based on these survey results, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has developed a support plan for isolated and secluded youth with other related ministries, which was reported at a meeting discussing youth policies chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday.

The government plans to establish an online self-diagnosis system to identify those at high risk and set up a one-stop support center for those in need. Four metropolitan cities and provinces will be selected to establish the so-called Youth Future Centers to support isolated and secluded youth, with a budget of 1.3 billion won allocated for support activities.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191. The Seoul Foreign Resident Center offers English-language counseling. Contact 02-2229-4900 to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO, CHANG YOON-SEO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]