F. Disability, Basic Health and Welfare
(Articles 6, 18(3), 23, 24, 26, 27(1), (2) and (3), and 33)
Issue 28. Children's mental health
98.
According to the Government's 2016 study about the mental health of school-aged
children, 35.7% of the observed children had a depression; 11.7% were in a state of mid- or
higher-level anxiety; 8.7% had a behavioral disorder; 3.7% had a high Internet-related risk;
17.6% ever considered committing suicide; 1.7% attempted to commit suicide; and 5.8% had
an experience of self-mutilation. Additionally, 17.3% of the respondent children ever sought a
help for their mental health, but only 3.09% had medical advice from psychiatric doctors.
99.
Due to the lack of the mental health institutions specifically for children, children with
mental disorders have low access to medical treatment by specialists. There are only 21
medical institutions specialized in children's mental health in 8 of the 17 cities or provinces and,
although the number of the specialized centers for children's mental health has grown to 130,
these centers mostly provide services for prevention, early detection, counseling and medical
expense support and only 3 of them have specialized doctors who are capable of medical
treatment.
100. Social prejudices against and stigmatization of psychiatric and mental disorders are one
of the reasons for children's low access to medical treatment. Mental disorders which require
specialized medical treatment are concentrated among the people whose age ranges from mid
or late teens to 24 years, and these mental disorders are highly likely to advance to severe or
chronic diseases unless checked at the initial stage and treated in a timely manner. This is why
the state and the general public are asked to pay more attention to children's mental health and
take proper actions.
101. In this regard, the NHRCK recommended, in December 2018, the Minister of Health
and Welfare to insert new provisions concerning medical treatment, care and education of
children and juveniles and formulate the Guideline on Human Rights Protection for Children
and Juvenile Patients; conduct current status surveys on a regular basis to identify the
prevalence of mental disorders in childhood and youth and the rate of treated disorders; expand
medical institutions and rehabilitation facilities for mental health in each local area; and include
the rights of children and juveniles in the education curricula for those who work in mental
health promotion facilities.
102. The Government should find out the ways to increase the possibility of children's
mental disorders being detected at the initial stage and the medical treatment
accessibility for children with mental disorders. In particular, the Government should
expand the medical institutions for children's and juveniles' mental health in local areas
which are easily accessible to children and juveniles with mental health problems.
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