Mental health policy influences the
mental health system and promotion in the medium and longer term. Thus, many countries develop a
mental health plan suitable for their countries. In 2012, the
suicide rate in
Korea was 28.1 per 100000
persons, representing a nine-year high among countries in the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In addition,
suicide rates in
Korea increase as a function of age. For example, the
prevalence of
suicide per 100000
persons is 19.3 among people in their 20 s and 83.2 among those in their 70 s, respectively. Another important
mental health issue in
Korea is a need for 'positive
psychiatry', which generally aims to improve
mental health and psychiatric conditions, not only in
patients with
psychiatric illnesses but also in the general
population. As the definition of
mental health is being broadened,
psychiatrists should expand their range of activities and collaborate more with other professional and civic groups.
Psychiatrists belonging to various institutions, such as
mental health groups, clinics,
mental health hospital, and
general hospital, also need to find ways to expand the importance of their
roles. Given the growing responsibilities for the
mental health policy, the
Policy Research Institute of the Korean Neuropsychiatric
Association planned eight
review articles on the
mental health of
Korea in the medium and longer term.