Yale Professor Addresses Mental Health Stigma After Tragic School Incident

Dr. Na Jong-ho, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University, spoke out regarding the tragic murder of 8-year-old Kim Ha-neul by a teacher in Daejeon. He emphasized that 'the crime lies with the perpetrator, not with depression.' In a Facebook post titled 'Depression is Not a Crime,' Dr. Na, who graduated from Seoul National University and has appeared on the tvN show 'You Quiz on the Block,' expressed concern over the media's focus on the teacher's history of depression during this sensitive time. He stated that such coverage could reinforce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, potentially deterring those in need from seeking help, which could worsen South Korea's mental health crisis. Dr. Na highlighted that the treatment rate for depression in South Korea remains alarmingly low at just 10%, meaning that 9 out of 10 individuals do not receive adequate care.

As a father of a daughter the same age as the victim, Dr. Na described the incident as heart-wrenching and expressed his condolences to the victim's family, hoping they receive the support they need. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of depression patients in South Korea rose from 691,164 in 2017 to 933,481 in 2021, a 35.1% increase. However, the treatment rate remains the lowest among OECD countries, with only 11% of individuals receiving care compared to 66% in the United States. Experts attribute this low rate to the negative perception of mental health treatment and the belief that individuals should overcome depression on their own.

On February 10, Kim Ha-neul was found fatally injured in a school audiovisual room, having been stabbed. The police responded to a report of a missing child and discovered her unconscious in a storage area. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she did not survive. The teacher, identified as A (48), was also found injured and later confessed to the attack, indicating that she had intended to harm students indiscriminately. A knife was recovered from the scene, and it was revealed that the teacher had purchased it with the intent to commit the crime and take her own life.