Educational and psychological risk factors for South Korean children and adolescents

ABSTRACT

To say that China, Malaysia, South Korea, and other East Asian countries have undergone immense change in the previous 20 years is an understatement. In fact, the phrase “The Four Asian Tigers” has been used to reference the rapidly emerging economies and changing cultures of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Currently, these countries support highly developed educational and scientifically minded communities to maintain continued progress. Traditional views of mental health coupled with a strong cultural emphasis on achievement and scientific progress exert significant psychological pressures across educational, familial, and institutional settings in this time of rapid growth. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), where the costs of rapid expansion and high educational expectations have also been associated with high levels of stress and other negative outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and suicide. This paper addresses the mental health and educational needs of students in South Korea, and particularly as these needs are communicated to various stakeholders in the country.

KEYWORDS:

• South Korea
• academic achievement
• education
• psychology
• mental health
• risk factors
• suicide
• depression

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Linda Phosaly

Linda Phosaly, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and behavior analyst in Omaha, Nebraska, specializing in applied behavior analysis for children with autism spectrum disorders. She earned her PhD at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she received advanced training as a behavior interventionist with children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

Daniel Olympia

Daniel Olympia is an associate emeritus professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in Salt Lake City, Utah. While a member of the school psychology faculty, he worked and traveled in South Korea as a visiting faculty member for the International Summer Program (2010–2012) at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea.

Sarah Goldman

Sarah Goldman is a licensed psychologist currently associated with the Neurology, Learning, and Behavior Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned her PhD at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she received advanced training in neuropsychology assessment.