The population in Korea is aging at an alarming pace. According to Statistics Korea, by 2025 the country is forecast to become a super-aged society, with individuals aged 65 years and older comprising over 20 percent of its estimated total population of 52 million. By 2050, the number is expected to rise to 44 percent. This demographic change has important implications for the health sector and social systems. How the nation deals with these changes will determine its population's health in decades to come.

Good mental health is pivotal to overall well-being but is often unrecognized and undertreated compared to physical health. Depression, for example, is one of the most common mental health illnesses affecting older adults in Korea. The government record reveals that in 2021, one in three patients with depression was in their 60s or older. Experts assume that there is a high number of unreported cases due to the social stigma surrounding mental illness. In addition to socio-environmental influences, this age group is affected by stressors related to aging, such as loss of loved ones, declining physical and cognitive ability, chronic pain, social network changes after retirement, income reduction and caregiving responsibilities. These stressors compound underlying conditions.

Untreated depression........

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