1 in 10 Korean teenagers suffers depression

One in 10 teenagers in Korea suffers from depression, data showed Thursday.

About 490,000 or 11.2 per cent of teenagers aged 12 to 18 had experienced severe sadness or depression that lasted for about two weeks last year, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The data showed that the number teenagers feeling depressed went up by 2.7 per cent in the past four years, with more girls feeling depressed than boys.

The rate of depression in girls rose each year to reach 16 per cent in 2013, double the rate of 6.7 per cent for boys. The number of boys suffering from depression took a downturn at 9.5 per cent in 2011.

Along with depression, about 970,000 or 21.8 per cent of teenagers also suffer from severe stress, data added.

Experts voiced concern that these figures might imply the potential threat of teens committing suicide, in a country where suicide rate is the highest among OECD member nations.