The importance of mental health has become an increasingly popular topic of discussion in South Korea. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), South Korea ranks first in suicide rates as of 2020 at a staggering rate of 24.1 deaths per 100,000 people. College students in South Korea are especially vulnerable, with suicide rates having increased by 60% over the past six years. Since depression is a significant risk factor when predicting suicidal ideation, it is important to look at the factors that put college-age students at risk for depression. Through an examination of existing literature, it has been identified that stress related to future employment is a large contributor to depression in Korean undergraduate students. Using evidence-based methods of reducing stress related to employment, we have created a hypothetical intervention based on the Social Cognitive Theory of Learning. This intervention proposes a series of workshops combining the traditional skills needed to obtain employment with mental health modalities, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to aid in emotion and stress regulation. In addition, career advisors should utilize DBT strategies to cultivate emotional coping skills within students. This hypothetical intervention should serve as a potentially novel method to address depression in college-age students. We expect that if university career centers implement DBT in their services and coaching, then there will be a reduction in stress related to the job searching process.

Authors:
David Burnett, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea
Yunah Cho, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea
Jaina Lee, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea
Nicole Codd, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea
Shakerra Bartley, University of Utah Asia Campus, South Korea

About the Presenter(s)
Mr David Burnett is a University Postgraduate Student at University of Utah in South Korea

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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