[Public Opinion Briefing 45-4] Vulnerable Groups Experience Higher Rates of Depression and Suicidal Ideation

[Public Opinion Briefing 45] Economic Crisis and Families

[Theme 1] Family Satisfaction Score: 71.1

[Theme 2] The Double Burden of Economic Crisis and Family Crisis

[Theme 3] Family: Not a Reliable Source of Support for 37.1%

[Theme 4] Vulnerable Groups Experience Higher Rates of Depression and Suicidal Ideation

Theme 1: Family Pathology Concentrated Among Vulnerable Groups – Depression, Suicidal Ideation... Urgent Need for Social Attention and Measures



• Family problems leading to pathology are concentrated among vulnerable social groups.

• Cases in the past year: Depression or mental illness 8.5%, suicidal ideation 6.2%, domestic violence 4.4%, separation or divorce 3.5%

• Family relationships in one year: 47.3% expect improvement, 47.3% expect them to remain the same, 4.0% expect deterioration.



The current economic crisis is powerful enough to be a common threat to all social strata and nearly all families. However, the perceived level and impact of this threat vary depending on each family's socioeconomic status and characteristics. A closer examination of extreme family pathologies, such as suicide, depression, domestic violence, and family dissolution, which have gained more attention due to the economic crisis, reveals significant differences in the suffering experienced across different social strata and family types. This is because these severe family pathologies are concentrated within specific vulnerable groups. It goes without saying that the government and society must urgently provide focused attention and develop measures for these severely vulnerable groups and individuals.



Actual experiences of family problems over the past year also help us understand the severity of family issues and why social attention is urgently needed. We investigated the prevalence of family pathologies such as 'domestic violence,' 'separation/divorce,' 'depression and other mental illnesses,' and 'suicidal ideation.' Among all respondents, 3.5% reported 'separation or divorce' within the family in the past year, and 4.4% reported experiencing 'domestic violence.' Suicidal ideation was reported by 6.2%, and 'depression or mental illness' by 8.5%.

[Figure 1] Problems Experienced in the Family Over the Past Year (Unit: %)

The problem is that these severe family pathologies are disproportionately concentrated among socially vulnerable groups. As observed earlier, individuals from low-income households, those with lower educational attainment, and older adults aged 50 and above who experience significant isolation from their families report higher rates of extreme pathological experiences compared to other groups.



Regarding the experience of depression or mental illness, the rate was 15.9% for households with incomes of 1 million KRW or less and 16.6% for those with middle school education or less. Among the age group of 50 and above, the response rate was 15.0%. For individuals who were divorced or widowed, the rate of experiencing depression/mental illness was as high as three in ten.



Suicidal ideation showed a similar trend. Among those with a monthly household income of 1 million KRW or less, 16.3% reported experiencing it. Among those with a middle school education or less, the rate was 10.8%. Considering the overall response rate of 6.2%, these figures represent a relatively high proportion. By age group, individuals aged 50 and above reported a relatively high rate of 10.7%, and those who were divorced or widowed experienced suicidal ideation at a staggering 19.4%.



Meanwhile, regarding the frequency of domestic violence, households with incomes of 1 million KRW or less reported a relatively high rate of 16.3%, and those with lower educational attainment (middle school or less) reported 12.0%. This contrasts sharply with the 2.4% reported by individuals with college degrees or higher. By age group, 7.0% of those aged 50 and above reported experiencing domestic violence, which is somewhat higher than other age groups. However, the reported rate of experiencing domestic violence was not high (3.0%) among respondents from broken homes who were divorced or widowed.



Finally, concerning experiences of divorce or separation, the rate was not significantly high at 4% for the impoverished group with incomes below 1 million KRW. However, by educational attainment, the rate was higher than average at 6.4% for those with middle school education or less. Consequently, it can be inferred that the risk of family crisis increases with age, lower income, and lower educational attainment.

[Figure 2] Experience of Depression/Mental Illness within the Family Over the Past Year (%)

[Figure 3] Experience of Suicidal Ideation within the Family Over the Past Year (%)

[Figure 4] Experience of Domestic Violence within the Family Over the Past Year (%)

[Figure 5] Experience of Separation/Divorce within the Family Over the Past Year (%)

What makes the survey results even more disheartening is that these vulnerable groups are not only more exposed to current family pathologies but also hold pessimistic expectations about their future family life. A similar trend was observed when respondents were asked about their outlook on family relationships in the next year. Overall, 47.3% expected improvement, while 51.3% expected the situation to remain the same, and 4.0% expected deterioration.



However, the respondents from socially vulnerable groups, as examined so far, exhibit a relatively pessimistic outlook on their future family life. Among the age group of 50 and above, only 40.4% expected improvement, showing a significant gap compared to 51.2% of those in their 20s and 60.5% of those in their 30s. For the income group below 1 million KRW, the expectation of improvement in family life was only 35.6%, contrasting with 54.0% for the 3 million KRW income group and 52.2% for the high-income group (4.01 million KRW or more). By educational attainment, only 35.1% of those with middle school education or less expected their family situation to improve in a year, compared to 48.8% for those with college degrees or higher.

[Figure 6] Outlook on Family Relationships in One Year by Age, Income, and Education (Unit: %)

In conclusion, socially vulnerable groups not only experience more severe problems in their current family lives but are also highly likely to encounter serious family pathologies such as suicide and depression/mental illness. Notably, there is a high level of pessimism regarding the future improvement of these issues. Ultimately, the economic crisis does not end as an economic problem but can lead to personal despair through family crises. When these problems are concentrated within a significant portion of society, ignoring them risks escalating the resulting social alienation and despair into larger societal issues. A balanced approach to individual and family crises is urgently needed, moving beyond discussions of national and macroeconomic crisis response.