Since the celebrity's confession of having panic disorder, the number of people seeking hospital treatment has steadily increased, rising 9.4 times compared to 17 years ago.
Reducing stigma around mental illness diagnosis and encouraging social interest... Patients who gained courage seek treatment at hospitals
[Herald Economy = Senior Health and Medical Reporter Kim Tae-yeol] In the past, many people avoided visiting hospitals even if they suffered from mental illnesses due to concerns about social stigma or prejudices and rejection towards mental health treatment. However, recently, a relatively large number of people are visiting hospitals to seek treatment for mental illnesses. Recent research findings have revealed that events where celebrities publicly disclosed their mental health treatment have played a significant role in this change.
Professor Shin Yong-wook from the Department of Psychiatry and Professor Cho Min-woo from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Seoul Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University College of Medicine, announced that, based on an analysis of panic disorder diagnosis rates over 17 years since 2004, the monthly average of new panic disorder diagnoses increased approximately 9.4 times after a famous celebrity publicly confessed to battling panic disorder in 2010.
Celebrities openly admitting to receiving mental health treatment have called for greater social awareness of mental illnesses, eased prejudices, and are interpreted to have helped patients suffering from similar conditions find the courage to seek diagnosis and treatment. The results of this study were recently published in the American international journal 'JAMA Network Open'.
Panic disorder is a condition characterized primarily by panic attacks, which are extreme anxiety symptoms that occur unexpectedly without any particular reason. It features symptoms such as fear of sudden death, shortness of breath or a feeling of suffocation, sweating, or trembling hands and feet, which repeatedly occur in a short period of time.
If diagnosis or treatment is delayed, conditions such as depression or agoraphobia may develop alongside, worsening the situation. Therefore, if symptoms are present, it is important to see a psychiatrist for diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment.
The research team analyzed the rate of newly diagnosed panic disorder patients per 100,000 population from January 2004 to December 2021, based on Korea's National Health Insurance Service data covering the entire Korean population. To examine the influence of celebrities' confessions of their struggle with panic disorder, the team used December 2010, when a famous actor who had gained popularity as a lead in various movies and dramas publicly revealed through an interview that they had suffered from panic disorder, as a reference point. Subsequently, in October 2011 and January 2012, well-known singer and comedian also confessed to having panic disorder, which amplified public interest in the condition.
It was confirmed that the monthly average new diagnosis rate for panic disorder was around 5.4 per 100,000 people from January 2004 to November 2010, before a famous celebrity publicly disclosed their battle with panic disorder. Immediately after the confession, in December 2010, the rate increased to about 6.5 per 100,000 people. Since then, the monthly average new diagnosis rate for panic disorder per 100,000 people sharply increased to 8.4 in January-February 2011, 18.0 in March, and 26.0 in April.
The differences by year also became more pronounced. Between 2004 and 2010, the average annual new diagnosis rate for panic disorder was about 65 per 100,000 people. However, after the announcement of a celebrity's battle with panic disorder, the average annual new diagnosis rate steadily increased, reaching 610 per 100,000 people in 2021. This is approximately 9.4 times higher than 17 years ago.
Professor Shin Yong-wook of Seoul Asan Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry said, "Courageous celebrities openly sharing their honest and sincere battles with mental illness have finally encouraged those who have suffered from anxiety and panic symptoms—either unaware of their condition or afraid of social stigma—to seek help." He added, "However, the rapid increase in panic disorder patients may also be due to individuals with various symptoms being treated only for panic disorder, a relatively well-known mental illness. Although social prejudice against mental illness still exists, many mental disorders, including panic disorder, can be properly diagnosed and effectively treated, which does not significantly impact daily life. If you are experiencing similar symptoms, I hope you will seek professional help and treatment as soon as possible."
