J Korean Med Sci.  2010 Dec;25(Suppl):S87-S93. 10.3346/jkms.2010.25.S.S87.

Occupational Psychiatric Disorders in Korea

• Choi KS
• Kang SK

• KMID: 1714072
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2010.25.S.S87

Abstract

We searched databases and used various online resources to identify and systematically review all articles on occupational psychiatric disorders among Korean workers published in English and Korean before 2009. Three kinds of occupational psychiatric disorders were studied: disorders related to job stress and mental illness, psychiatric symptoms emerging in victims of industrial injuries, and occupational psychiatric disorders compensated by Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI). Korea does not maintain official statistical records for occupational psychiatric disorders, but several studies have estimated the number of occupational psychiatric disorders using the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (COMWEL, formerly KLWC) database. The major compensated occupational psychiatric disorders in Korea were "personality and behavioral disorders due to brain disease, damage, and dysfunction", "other mental disorders due to brain damage and dysfunction and to physical diseases", "reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders", and "depressive episodes". The most common work-related psychiatric disorders, excluding accidents, were "neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders" followed by "mood disorders".

Keyword

Occupational Diseases; Mental Disorders; Work-related; Job Stress

MeSH Terms

Accidents, Occupational/*psychology
Brain Damage, Chronic/epidemiology
Depression/epidemiology
Humans
Mood Disorders/epidemiology
Neurotic Disorders/epidemiology
Occupational Diseases/*epidemiology/psychology
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Somatoform Disorders/epidemiology
Stress, Psychological/*epidemiology/psychology
Workers' Compensation/*economics

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Other work-related diseases (overwork, stress, liver disease, psychiatric disorders, etc.) in Korea from 2001 to 2007.

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