First-graders enter school in a line at Naesung Elementary School in Busan on March 2, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 14 (Korea Bizwire) — A significant number of elementary school students have been facing anxiety and depression since the onset of the pandemic era, survey showed Wednesday.
The Korea Educational Environments Protection Agency conducted a survey of 341,412 children attending elementary, middle and high school, in which 25.4 percent of elementary school students between first and fourth grade and 32.4 percent of those in fifth and sixth grade were feeling more depressed than during the pre-pandemic era.
The data also showed that 10.6 percent of middle school students and 14.7 percent of high school students had experienced depressive symptoms in the prior two weeks for more than seven days.
Among elementary school students, 23.8 percent of those between 1st and 4th grade and 34.8 percent of fifth and sixth graders said they had been experiencing more anxiety than in the pre-pandemic era, while 6 percent of middle school students and 8.5 percent of high school students had experienced anxiety in the previous two weeks for more than seven days.
Another 43.2 percent of the students said they have been particularly stressed out by school work since the onset of the pandemic.
More students felt they were experiencing more problems in relationships due to the spread of remote lectures and dwindling outdoor activities.
Among elementary school students, 43.2 percent of those between 1st and 4th grade and 33.4 percent of 5th and 6th graders felt estranged from their friends.
Another 83.5 percent of elementary school students between first and fourth grade, 78.8 percent of fifth and sixth graders, 62.1 percent of high school students and 56.9 percent of middle school students responded that they’ve been spending considerably longer hours on the internet or using smartphones.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
