[Exclusive] “Even Professors...” University Faculty Tasked with Student Care Are Failing Too; 1 in 4 in Seoul Area Have Made a Dangerous Attempt

[Mental Health Blind Spots on Campus, Part 3]

Campus-Wide Spread of Mental Health Crisis at Universities

All Professors with Suicidal Thoughts in the Capital Region Went On to Attempt It

"Isolated Silence"…Urgent Need to Shift the Men

The mental health crisis alert has been sounded for university professors, who should be responsible for monitoring students' mental well-being and providing academic and career guidance. One in six or seven university professors reported having contemplated suicide—more than twice the rate among the general adult population. Particularly concerning is that over half of the professors who reported suicidal ideation had actually attempted suicide. This indicates that mental health issues on university campuses extend beyond students and have begun to seriously affect the professors and staff as well. As a result, there are calls to shift the paradigm of university mental health response from a focus merely on "student welfare" to comprehensive "university crisis management."

On October 2, The Asia Business Daily obtained and analyzed the full report of the “Survey on Mental Health Support Status and Improvement Measures for University Members,” which was commissioned early this year by the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) and conducted by the research team led by Professor Myung Sook Yun at Chonbuk National University. This study is the first of its kind in Korea to survey professors, students, and university staff together, comparing the mental health status and suicide risk of each group. Globally, there are only eight published papers analyzing the mental health of university professors.

According to the research results, the mental health crisis within universities, previously thought to be a student problem, has spread across the entire academic community, affecting both professors and staff. The research team conducted a mental health survey between July 25 and December 12 of last year among a total of 1,549 individuals: 824 university students, 408 staff members, and 317 professors at four-year universities nationwide. The group with the highest incidence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was professors. While the general public’s rate of suicidal ideation was 6.4%, among professors it was 14.9%, and suicide attempts were reported at 7.9%. These are the highest figures among all surveyed groups, surpassing staff (13.8% and 3.2%, respectively) and students (7.9% and 2.0%).

Among university staff, the rates of depression (7.9 points) and severe stress (60.8%) were the highest among the three groups. The researchers analyzed that students are a "potential mental health crisis group," staff are a "vulnerable mental health group," and professors are a "suicide risk group."

53% of Professors with Suicidal Ideation Have Attempted Suicide

The research team characterized the mental health issue within the professor group as a “serious life-threatening warning sign,” given that the rate of actual suicide attempts among professors with suicidal ideation was much higher than among other university groups.

Specifically, among the 315 professors who responded to the survey, 47 (14.9%) reported having contemplated suicide. A re-analysis by The Asia Business Daily found that 30 were men (63.8%), outnumbering women (17, or 36.2%). By university type, 34 were from private universities (72.3%) and 13 from national and public universities (27.7%). By region, the central region had the largest number (21 professors, 44.7%), followed by the metropolitan area and Honam region with 10 each (21.3%), and Yeongnam region with 6 (12.8%).

Most notably, the correlation between suicidal ideation and actual attempts was pronounced. Twenty-five professors reported having attempted suicide—equivalent to 53.2% of the 47 professors who experienced suicidal ideation. The researchers described this group as a “hidden high-risk group that is not outwardly apparent, but when pushed over the threshold, immediately faces a life-threatening crisis.” Of the 25 professors who attempted suicide, men accounted for 20 (80.0%), four times as many as women (5, 20.0%). Twenty were private university professors (80.0%), more than the number at national and public universities (5, 20.0%). By region, the central region (12 professors, 48.0%) and the metropolitan area (10, 40.0%) accounted for 88.0% of cases.

Breaking it down by location, professors in the metropolitan area showed sharply higher rates of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Of the 39 metropolitan-area professors surveyed, 10 (25.6%) reported having considered suicide, and the same number (10, or 25.6%) reported having attempted suicide—meaning one in four professors in Seoul and the metropolitan area were affected. This rate is more than three times the national average rate of suicide attempts among professors, which stood at 7.9%.

It was also confirmed that all 10 respondents from the metropolitan area who reported suicidal ideation were the same 10 who reported suicide attempts.

Professor Yun stated, “Upon a close review of the raw data, it was found that 100% of metropolitan area professors who reported having suicidal thoughts had also attempted suicide.”

The underlying causes of the mental health crisis among professors include the “triple burden” of teaching, research, and administrative work; identity confusion arising from declining school-age populations; and chronic burnout. In particular, the research suggests that an isolated work environment centered on laboratories exacerbates feelings of loneliness among professors, with an organizational culture that discourages displaying conflicts with colleagues, leading to what is termed ‘isolated silence.’

Daily ‘Life or Death’ Survival Pressure

“High-risk professors—that’s me. I have actually considered suicide.”

Professor A, at a private university in the metropolitan area, recounted that during a period of severe personal conflict, he once thought, “If I crash this motorcycle into a field, I’ll be free from this pain,” while riding as a hobby. The conflict was eventually resolved, but he came to realize that the risk of suicide among professors is not limited to a small minority and is not an exceptional problem. He emphasized, “Professors face tremendous pressure to deliver results in the university environment—Seoul and the capital region are just as fiercely competitive.” He explained that the intense competition to attract students, the dire state of university finances, and the ongoing threat of department closures turn these into existential issues. As a music professor, A has repeatedly faced the threat of departmental dissolution. He said, “It really does feel like a question of life or death. In the past, staff and professors had secure careers, but now we’re in an age of limitless competition.” He added, “With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), more professors are worrying that they’ll have nowhere to go after retirement. I myself have considered getting a bus driver’s license as a backup plan for survival.”

Similar testimonies were heard in the research team's in-depth interviews. Professor B, at a private university in a non-metropolitan area, said, "I have experienced moderate or severe stress, and as the frequency increases, I worry that it will eventually affect my physical and mental health. The constant pressure from administrative work, student mentoring, and research output is worsening my mental health.” But, he noted, it’s difficult to openly share these struggles. Professor C, at a private university in Seoul, said, “I’ve experienced significant anger and stress, but I do not want to disclose these incidents publicly.”

Culture That Does Not Tolerate Failure Is Prevalent

One key factor underlying the high mental health risks among professors is the “university culture that does not tolerate failure.” Lee Keejeong, president of Hanyang University and current chair of the Korean Council for University Education, commented, “Our culture in general is highly rigid and does not tolerate failure. If a professor fails to obtain tenure or does not produce research results, it’s hard to find second chances, and the stress from that is overwhelming.”

He recounted his experience providing “re-challenge research funds” to professors who underperformed in research rather than penalizing them. He said, “Domestic universities commonly deny sabbaticals or assign extra teaching to professors who haven’t achieved enough research, effectively punishing them. But there are cases where inability to conduct research is due to health, family issues, or excessive managerial roles.” He recalled providing 30 million won in research funds to science and engineering faculty and 5 million won to humanities professors, explaining, “Reaching out to those who never previously received university support creates a healthier culture.”

Ultimately, the fact that professors—who should be the ones spotting and supporting student crisis signals—have been left outside the campus mental health safety net directly affects student well-being as well. The research team argued that mental health policies must expand beyond students and include professors and staff. Since each group faces different risk factors, a tailored support system is needed: early detection and prevention for students, depression and stress management for staff, and emergency crisis intervention for professors at risk of suicide. Furthermore, mental health support should not be left to the discretion of each university alone.

Hong Hyeonju, professor of psychiatry at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, stated, “It’s a situation that calls for a national emergency declaration. We urgently need a fundamental paradigm shift in campus mental health policy—from a student-centered approach to a comprehensive system encompassing all members, including staff and professors.”

*If you are struggling with depression or other difficult issues, or if someone you know is in distress, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109 or via SNS counseling service ‘Madlen’ (a listening ear online friend).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.