Abstract

One in four Koreans reported at least one mental health problem in their lifetime, and the suicide rate has been at the highest level among the OECD member countries for about two decades. Happiness and Social Integration indexes show lowest level in recent years. In this study, we analyzed the OECD’s recommendations for Korea’s mental health system(O’Connor, 2013) along with the mental health policies regarding mental health workers. Comparative analyses between Republic of Korea and other OECD member countries showed that Korean mental health system has not integrated psychological services for all citizens, lacking effective preventive measures for mental illness and death by suicide. As system focused mostly on severe mental illness characterized by high rate of hospitalization, it has also resulted in weak community-based mental health care system. Therefore, it has yet to introduce licensed psychologists in the system, which is in contrast to other highly-industrialized OECD countries where licensed psychologists have been working as essential mental health workforce to prevent mental illnesses, provide evidence-based psychological practices, such as assessment and psychotherapy to individuals with mild to moderate mental health problems, and collaborate with other mental health workers to provide community-based mental health services to a wide-spectrum of severity. In order to effectively provide psychological services that meet the needs of the Korean people living in a highly industrialized country with significant mental health problems, it is urgent that Korean government introduce licensed psychologists in the mental health system. With thousands of Korean Psychological Association certified psychologists requiring similar education and training as the OECD members, Korea will greatly gain from the regulation, which will contribute significantly to improve the mental health of Koreans as well as their quality of life and happiness.