ABSTRACT

Introduction: South Korea experienced a rapid period of industrialization and urbanization during the 1970s, and widespread social changes occurred in all fields. As a result of such changes, various side effects, such as mental disorders, feelings of disgust, stigmas, and social prejudices against mental disorders, intensified. Accordingly, on December 30, 1995, the Mental Health Act was enacted, and through various amendments, a forum for the promotion of mental health for all citizens was established. In addition, the scope of mental disorders was reduced, and related welfare services were improved and supplemented. Subject: Public interest in mental health and social demand are rapidly increasing, and associated problems are also on the rise. Accordingly, South Korea continues to create policies to strengthen access to mental health services as well as to detect and treat mental disorders at an early stage. However, numerous problems and tasks remain to be resolved. Although the necessity of establishing and re-establishing the role of mental health specialists has been mentioned to solve various problems regarding mental health services, the number of mental health support personnel in South Korea remains insufficient compared to other nations. In addition, employment instability, continuous departures, and operational limitations prevent a guaranteed level of professionalism. South Korea is currently attempting to strengthen its infrastructure for community level mental health services. To this end, the role of occupational therapists working in mental health has been emphasized abroad. Conclusion: After the revisions of the Act on the Improvement of Mental Health and the Support for Welfare Services for Mental Patients in 2022, there have been many areas that need to be improved in the area of mental health services in South Korea. For this purpose, occupational therapists working in mental health are essential and have the knowledge and skills clear enough to actually apply the values inherent in the occupational therapy provided by mental health services in the country. However, the contents of the role, manpower training, and education of occupational therapists working in mental health are relatively inadequate. Therefore, the allocation and active use of occupational therapists working in mental health with a unique expertise regarding “occupational therapy,” which is provided in various countries, will be the basis for a more effective and successful implementation of mental health services in South Korea.