Depression Among Men in Their 30s Has Significantly Increased Since COVID-19... "Social Attention Needed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Since the COVID-19 pandemic, depression among men in their 30s and 40s has significantly increased. The number of men in their 30s planning “extreme measures” has also notably risen.

According to the "Adult Mental Health In-depth Report" released on the 27th by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), which analyzed mental health indicators based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) comparing the prevalence of depression in men in their 30s before (2018, 2019) and after (2020, 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic was 2.87. An odds ratio above 1 indicates a higher risk after the pandemic compared to before.

The odds ratio for men in their 40s was 2.32, and for men in their 20s, it was 2.04, showing a significant increase in depression prevalence among men after COVID-19, with an overall odds ratio of 1.82. In contrast, the odds ratio for depression prevalence among women was 1.04, indicating little change before and after the pandemic.

The odds ratio for suicide planning among men was 1.26, showing an increase after the COVID-19 outbreak, with men in their 30s experiencing a sharp rise to 5.98. Additionally, men with higher education (university graduates or above) had a higher odds ratio of 2.81 compared to those who graduated from middle or high school. However, the KDCA noted, “Since the percentage of suicide planning is low, a few respondents answering 'yes' can make the numbers appear higher, which should be taken into account.”

The rate of suicidal thoughts increased among both men and women in their 30s after COVID-19. The odds ratio for men in their 30s was 2.69, more than three times the overall male average of 0.85, while women in their 30s had an odds ratio of 2.59, more than twice the overall female average of 0.98.

Trends in depression prevalence, suicidal thoughts, and suicide planning rates have consistently been higher among women. Last year, the prevalence of depression was 6.2% for women, higher than 4.4% for men. Since 2014, the rate for men increased by 0.2 percentage points, while for women it decreased by 2.9 percentage points. Last year, the rates of suicidal thoughts and planning were 5.1% and 1.4% for women, respectively, higher than 3.4% and 1.1% for men.

The KDCA expects that the in-depth analysis results using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data will serve as a basis for national health policy development. Ji Young-mi, director of the KDCA, stated, “Overall mental health remains worse in women compared to men, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, the deterioration in mental health among men in their 30s has increased more, requiring attention and monitoring.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.