More Young Women Seek Help for PTSD

More and more young Korean women are reporting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, often because they buckle under the pressures of modern life or suffer physical violence.

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According to the National Health Insurance Service on Monday, the number of patients diagnosed with PTSD increased 45 percent from 7,628 in 2015 to 10,570 in 2019. The number of women increased 48.8 percent compared to 40.6 percent among men.

Among young women in their 20s, 1,493 were diagnosed with PTSD last year, more than double the 720 in 2015.

Jeon Hong-jin at Samsung Medical Center said, "More women tend to suffer from PTSD than men because they are more often exposed to physical violence. The increase is so noticeable among young women because more of them are open to seeking help".

Meanwhile, young women are also more prone than their male peers to suicidal impulses, according to a study by the Korean Educational Development Institute.

The study tracked 6,908 people born in 1992 from 2011 when they turned 20 until 2018 when they turned 27.

Among the women, 27.65 percent said they felt suicidal urges, compared to just 13.86 percent of the men.

Choi Jin-hwa, who led the study, said, "Young women who are torn between traditional and modern values feel a sense of inferiority when they see these endless images of happy women on social media and end up amplifying their negative experiences".