Posted on : Dec.26,2019 10:09 KST
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Percentage of people treated for panic disorders according to age group (2014~2018)
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National health data shows panic disorders more than doubled in 4 years for people in their 20s
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Percentage of people treated for panic disorders according to age group (2014~2018)
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The number of South Koreans in their 20s who suffer from panic disorders has been substantially increasing each year, health data shows. Panic episodes are characterized by an anxiety response that overwhelms the sufferer with the powerful sense that he or she is about to die accompanied by physical symptoms including heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, and chest pain, but with no particular irregularities detectable by internal examinations.
On Dec. 23, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) published an analysis of health insurance subscribers who were treated for panic disorders between 2014 and 2018. The findings showed the number of patients in their 20s more than doubling from 7,848 in 2014 to 18,851 last year. The 24.5% annual average rate of increase was the highest among all age groups, which ranged from 19 and under to 80 and over. The number of teenaged patients also rose from 1,414 in 2014 to 2,753 last year.
The total number of people treated for panic disorders rose from 93,000 in 2014 to 159,000 last year. Among those treated in 2018, patients in their 40s represented the largest segment at 38,825 (24.4%), followed by patients in their 50s (20.7%) and 30s (18.5%).
Commenting on the data, Kim Seong-wan, a professor of psychiatry at Chonnam National University Hospital observed, “The past few years have seen a substantial increase in the number of people in their 20s undergoing psychiatric treatment not only for panic disorders but also for depression.”
“People in their 20s represent a vulnerable age group for psychological health issues, and this phenomenon appears to be a result not only of the frequent occurrence of different ailments but also increased stress for young people,” Kim observed.
Regarding the rise in the number of people being treated for panic disorders, Kim said, “In an environment where people continue to eschew psychiatric treatment, you could see this as pointing to improved treatment availability for panic disorders, which have been talked about a lot in connection with entertainers.”
By Park Hyun-jung, staff reporter
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