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Young adults who leave child welfare facilities and begin living independently are three to four times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than the general young adult population, a new study has found.

According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) on Tuesday, data from the Survey on the Lives of Young People, cited in its report titled Youth Health Status and Policy Challenges: Focusing on Vulnerable Young Adults, showed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms among young adults transitioning out of care stood at 29.3% for men and 34.2% for women in 2024.

The figures were approximately three to four times higher than those for the overall young adult population, at 7.2% for men and 10.7% for women. 

Young adults transitioning out of care are defined as people aged 19 to 34 whose protection under the Child Welfare Act has ended or who have left child welfare facilities.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among socially isolated and withdrawn young adults was also nearly three times that of the general young adult population in 2024, at 18.8% for men and 30.3% for women.

Young adults caring for family members also reported significantly higher rates of burnout.

The burnout rate, which measures the proportion of young adults who experienced physical and mental exhaustion from work, studies or job preparation over the past year, reached 51.7% among male young carers and 66.1% among female young carers, roughly twice the rates for the general young adult population.

Vulnerable young adults also reported higher rates of medication use, including sleeping pills and tranquilizers, with young carers generally showing particularly high rates.

Among male young carers, 19.2% reported having used tranquilizers and 6.2% reported using opioid painkillers. These figures were more than six times the corresponding rates of 3.0% and 0.9% among young adults overall.

Among female young carers, 13.7% reported having used sleeping pills, while 26.0% had used diet or weight-control medications. These rates were nearly three times those of the overall female young adult population, at 5.1% and 9.3%, respectively.

The researchers said, "There is considerable room for improvement among vulnerable young adults, not only in mental health but also in health-related behaviors and medication use."

They added, "Local healthcare institutions should identify vulnerable young adults with health problems and provide disease prevention and management services, as well as health education."

                                                                                                            Seo Byeong-ju