Seeing a psychiatrist for the first time: what to expect

You do not need a severe illness to see a psychiatrist. If worrying symptoms persist, get in the way of daily life or drag on, it is important not to decide on your own that they are nothing, but to talk to people around you or to specialist services. The earlier treatment starts, the more it can stop the problem getting worse or becoming long-term (National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, n.d.). You also do not need to know what is wrong before you go. Even for depression there is no single test that makes the diagnosis; a psychiatrist judges it from the whole picture (National Center for Mental Health, 2020). Common symptoms are described in depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms.

Many people still hold back. In Korea’s 2021 national mental health survey, among people the survey judged to have a mental disorder, 12.1% had ever received counselling or treatment from a professional, and 7.2% in the past year (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2021). Those who had not sought help most often said they thought they could solve a problem of that size themselves (90.3%) or that they had no mental illness (87.3%); 43.2% worried what others would think if they knew, and 13.4% worried about the cost (National Mental Health Information Portal, 2024).

In a 2021 survey by Seoul National University Hospital’s public healthcare centre, cited by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the barriers to seeing a psychiatrist were institutional disadvantage (34.0%), social perception (27.8%), medicine side effects (18.6%) and cost (16.1%) (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024). This guide answers those worries from laws and official sources: how a first visit goes, costs and support, medical records and F codes, insurance and medicine. mind.io does not offer a test that tells you whether to see a psychiatrist, and this guide does not replace a consultation.

If you have thoughts of harming yourself, do not wait for an appointment. Reach out to a crisis line right away: call or text 988 in the US and Canada, call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or find a line at findahelpline.com elsewhere. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services. In Korea, call 109 (24 hours, free).

A psychiatry clinic is run by doctors. They assess and diagnose symptoms, prescribe medicine if needed and also provide talking treatment (psychotherapy). In Korea only doctors can prescribe (Medical Service Act, Article 18). Outpatient visits are covered by national health insurance, and so are psychotherapy and standardised cognitive behavioural therapy for depression, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2018).

At a counselling centre, counsellors work through conversation and psychological testing. The tasks of Korea’s national mental health clinical psychologist qualification are psychological assessment, education and counselling (Enforcement Decree of the Mental Health Welfare Act, Annex 2), and counsellors cannot prescribe (Medical Service Act, Article 18). Credentials range from national licences to private certificates, so it is worth checking; Korea’s government counselling voucher lists the credentials it accepts (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2026a).

At a city or district community mental health welfare centre, you can get counselling, information and referral to other services, as well as the referral letter needed for the counselling voucher. Calling the mental health crisis line 1577-0199 (24 hours) connects you to the nearest centre for counselling, mental health information and guidance on medical facilities (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2025a). Recipients of basic livelihood benefits use the centres free of charge; ask the centre about other costs (Ministry of Health and Welfare & National Center for Mental Health, 2026).

If you are not sure where to start, see a psychiatrist first when symptoms are severe, when you have thoughts of self-harm or suicide, a drinking or drug problem, or possible symptoms such as hearing voices or delusions. Korea’s government counselling voucher also sends people in these situations to psychiatric care first (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2026a). In a suicidal crisis, call 109 in Korea right away. You do not have to choose between medicine and talking treatment either: many people get help from both (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2015b).

First, choose a clinic. In Korea, the National Mental Health Information Portal has a finder for psychiatry clinics and community mental health welfare centres by region (National Mental Health Information Portal, n.d.). A local clinic is fine; to see a psychiatrist at a tertiary hospital (a large university hospital) with health-insurance cover, you need a referral letter from a clinic or hospital (Rules on National Health Insurance Benefit Standards, Article 2). You can be seen without one, but health insurance will not apply (Seoul National University Hospital, n.d.). Call ahead to check whether you need an appointment.

At reception you show your health-insurance card or ID (Rules on National Health Insurance Benefit Standards, Article 3). If you come because of low mood, the recommended practice is to rate how severe it is at the start with a depression scale such as the PHQ-9. You can look at your own score beforehand with the mind.io depression check-in (PHQ-9), but it does not replace a consultation. Korea’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service rates clinics’ and hospitals’ outpatient depression care on a return visit within 3 weeks of the first visit and on whether an initial assessment and a reassessment were done, among other indicators (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 2022).

In the interview, the psychiatrist asks about the problem that brought you, what has happened in your life, your thoughts and feelings and your physical health. Psychiatrists do not start “psychoanalysing” you the moment you meet (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2015a). Physical symptoms, sleep and appetite matter as well as mental symptoms. The diagnosis may not be clear at the first visit, and if you start a medicine it may not work straight away (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2011). How long the visit takes depends on the clinic and the situation.

Writing things down beforehand helps. Note which symptoms you have, when they started, how often and how severe they are, any major stress or recent life changes, the medicines and supplements you take, your family history and the questions you want to ask. A friend or relative can come along to support you and help remember what was said. If a suggested treatment makes you uncomfortable, say so and ask about other options (National Institute of Mental Health, 2022). If treatment does not feel right, it is fine to seek a second opinion (Royal College of Psychiatrists, n.d.).

In Korea, outpatient psychiatric care is covered by national health insurance. Of the covered costs, the basic co-payment is 30% at a clinic and rises at a hospital (40% in urban areas), a general hospital (50% in urban areas) and a tertiary hospital (the full consultation fee plus 60% of the rest) (Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, Annex 2). In 2018 psychotherapy fees were reformed so that longer sessions are paid more, and the co-payment rate for psychotherapy was cut by 20 percentage points at each type of facility (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2018). The cost of a first visit depends on the clinic, tests and session length, so this guide does not give an amount.

In 2026, a “mental health counselling voucher” (formerly the national “mind investment” programme) funds 8 sessions of professional counselling (at least 50 minutes each) for people with emotional difficulties such as depression or anxiety. There is no age or income limit, but you need proof such as a referral from a community mental health centre or university counselling centre, a psychiatrist’s diagnosis or opinion, or a PHQ-9 score of 10 or more from the national health check-up. You apply at a local community centre or online, the co-payment ranges from 0 to 50% depending on health-insurance premiums, the voucher must be used within 120 days of being issued, and applications close when the budget runs out. A mind.io self-check result does not count as proof. People who need psychiatric care first, such as in an acute suicidal crisis, are not eligible and should call 109 or 119 first (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2026a).

Each voucher session is priced at 80,000 won with a grade-1 counsellor or 70,000 won with a grade-2 counsellor, sessions are one-to-one and face to face, and you can apply once a year. In Korea, people aged 20 to 34 are screened for depression at the general health check-up every 2 years (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2026a). Some support is only for specific groups. People who have attempted suicide or lost a family member to suicide can receive up to 1,000,000 won a year towards psychiatric treatment, psychological tests and counselling if they meet the income and other criteria and agree to case management (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2025b); if you have thoughts of suicide now, call 109 in Korea (24 hours, free) or a crisis line where you live. There is also treatment-cost support of up to 4,500,000 won a year for people newly diagnosed with conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who meet the income and other criteria (Ministry of Health and Welfare & National Center for Mental Health, 2026).

Other countries have similar schemes. In Japan, people who need continuing outpatient psychiatric care can get “independence support medical care” (outpatient psychiatry), which cuts the usual 30% co-payment to 10%, with a monthly cap based on income (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, n.d.). In England, people with anxiety or depression can refer themselves to NHS talking therapies without a diagnosis (NHS, 2025b). In France, people with mild to moderate anxiety or depression can see a contracted psychologist through Mon soutien psy for up to 12 sessions a year, with national health insurance paying 60% of the cost (Service Public, 2026).

In Korea, a clinic may not show a patient’s records to anyone other than the patient or give them a copy (Medical Service Act, Article 21). Breaking this rule is punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (Medical Service Act, Article 88). The law lists exceptions, such as benefit reviews by the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, criminal investigations and trials, pension or compensation reviews, and the Military Manpower Administration’s conscription examination. Employers are not among them (Medical Service Act, Article 21).

Family members cannot see the records freely either. A spouse, parent or other relative needs a consent form signed by the patient; the exceptions are when the patient is under 14, or cannot consent because they are unconscious or have died (Medical Service Act, Article 21; Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act, Article 13-3). Family can still learn of a visit in other ways, such as payments or insurance claim statements.

An “F code” is the diagnosis code given to mental and behavioural disorders in the Korean classification of diseases (Detailed Enforcement Rules on Insurance Business Supervision, Annex 15). From April 2013, Korea’s health ministry allowed doctors to bill a psychiatric outpatient visit with counselling only and no medicine under a general counselling code (a Z code) instead of an F code, and at the time said this applied only to people visiting psychiatry for the first time (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2013). A 2018 document restated the policy (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2018), but ask the clinic whether it still works the same way. Whatever code is billed, the clinic keeps its own medical record (Medical Service Act, Article 22).

Going to a psychiatrist does not make you a “person with a mental illness” in the legal sense. Korea’s Mental Health Welfare Act defines that narrowly, as someone whose delusions, hallucinations or disorders of thought or mood seriously limit their ability to live independently (Mental Health Welfare Act, Article 3). The grounds that bar someone from becoming a state public official do not include mental illness (State Public Officials Act, Article 33), and the recruitment health check fails a mental illness that seriously interferes with the work or chronic drug addiction; services with special duties may set their own standards (Regulations on Physical Examinations for Public Official Recruitment, Article 4 and Annex).

A diagnosis alone does not stop you getting a driving licence either. A licence is refused to people who, because of a mental illness or similar condition, a specialist in the field judges unable to drive normally. The data passed to the police cover people discharged from the military or exempted from service because of mental illness and people admitted to hospital for 6 months or more with a guardian’s consent, not the fact of outpatient visits (Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Articles 42 and 58 and Annex 4). And no one may limit opportunities in education, employment or the use of facilities, or otherwise treat someone unfairly, because they have or had a mental illness (Mental Health Welfare Act, Article 69).

Korean indemnity health insurance (silson) policies taken out from 1 January 2016 cover the part of treatment costs for some mental illnesses, such as depression, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and ADHD, that is covered by national health insurance (Financial Supervisory Service, 2015). Since 2019 the covered part of non-organic sleep disorders (F51) has been included too (Financial Supervisory Service, 2018). Older policies may not cover psychiatric treatment, so check when you took out your policy and its terms (Financial Supervisory Service, 2015).

The standard terms of indemnity policies sold today do not cover costs outside national health insurance for mental and behavioural disorders (F04 to F99) (Detailed Enforcement Rules on Insurance Business Supervision, Annex 15). Counselling or tests not covered by health insurance may therefore not be reimbursed.

When you apply for a new policy, you must answer truthfully what the insurer asks on the application form (Commercial Act, Article 651). The standard questions only cover set periods: diagnosis, treatment or prescriptions in the last 3 months, regular use of medicines such as tranquillisers or sleeping pills in the last 3 months, re-tests in the last year, and hospital stays, surgery, 7 or more days of continuous treatment or 30 or more days of continuous medication in the last 5 years. Questions and periods can differ by insurer and product, so answer the questions exactly as written on the form (Detailed Enforcement Rules on Insurance Business Supervision, Annex 14). Telling only the agent, without writing it on the form, may not count, and if you are unsure whether something applies, such as a counselling-only visit without medicine, ask the insurer before signing (Financial Supervisory Service, 2024).

A history of psychiatric treatment does not close off all insurance. Instead of refusing, an insurer can accept you with conditions such as excluding some cover or a higher premium (Detailed Enforcement Rules on Insurance Business Supervision, Annex 15), and in 2018 indemnity policies for people with a medical history, with fewer underwriting questions, were introduced (Financial Services Commission & Financial Supervisory Service, 2018). The National Human Rights Commission of Korea found that refusing indemnity insurance outright to someone taking depression medicine, without looking at their condition, was discrimination on grounds of medical history, and recommended that the insurers change their criteria (National Human Rights Commission of Korea, 2022). The recipient must respect such recommendations and try to carry them out, but they are not orders (National Human Rights Commission Act, Articles 25 and 44).

Under the standard indemnity terms, when you make a claim the insurer can ask for your written consent to make enquiries with hospitals or the National Health Insurance Service, to check the grounds for payment or a breach of the duty of disclosure, and must explain the purpose and use. You are expected to consent; refusing without good reason means no interest is paid for the delay until the facts are checked (Detailed Enforcement Rules on Insurance Business Supervision, Annex 15). This guide does not replace individual advice on insurance applications or claims, and it is not a suggestion to hide anything or to delay care. Do not put off care you need because of insurance worries.

Seeing a psychiatrist does not mean you must take medicine. Mild depression is sometimes treated with psychotherapy alone, while medicine is almost essential for moderate or more severe depression (National Center for Mental Health, 2020). The Royal College of Psychiatrists says antidepressants should not usually be prescribed for mild depression, and that your doctor should explain why they are suggesting one and its potential benefits and risks (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2025). You decide with your doctor after hearing that explanation.

Antidepressants usually take 1 to 2 weeks to start having an effect and up to about 8 weeks to work fully (NHS, 2025a). Side effects are mild for most people and often wear off within a couple of weeks; if they last more than a few weeks or become unbearable, tell your doctor (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2025).

On the worry “will I get addicted?”, the Royal College of Psychiatrists explains that finding it hard to stop antidepressants is better described as physical dependence, the body having adapted to the medicine, than as addiction (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2025). Many people get withdrawal symptoms when reducing or stopping; they usually pass within a few weeks, but for some people they are severe and last for months or longer (NHS, 2025a). So do not stop suddenly; reduce slowly with your doctor (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2024).

How long you take a medicine varies. Antidepressants are usually continued for at least 6 months after you feel better, with ongoing discussion with your doctor about when and how to stop, and some people need them for a long time to stay well (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2025). If you notice mood changes such as feeling more angry or emotionally numb after starting a medicine, tell your doctor (NHS, 2025a). Worries about medicines are covered in antidepressants and psychiatric medication, and the evidence on medicines and other treatments is set out in What helps with depression.

Q. If I see a psychiatrist, will I have to take medicine? A. No. You can have talking treatment (psychotherapy) only (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2018), and whether to take medicine is decided with your doctor according to how severe the symptoms are (National Center for Mental Health, 2020).

Q. Will a psychiatric record hurt my job prospects in Korea? A. Outside the cases set by law, a clinic cannot show your records to an employer (Medical Service Act, Article 21). Mental illness is not among the grounds that bar someone from becoming a state public official (State Public Officials Act, Article 33). Services with special duties can set their own health-check standards, so check the rules where you apply (Regulations on Physical Examinations for Public Official Recruitment, Article 4 and Annex).

Q. What is an F code, and can I ask for a Z code instead? A. An F code is the diagnosis code for mental and behavioural disorders. In 2013 Korea’s health ministry allowed doctors to bill an outpatient counselling visit without medicine under a general counselling code (Z code), saying at the time that it applied only to first-time psychiatric visits (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2013); you can ask the clinic before the visit whether this still applies. But you cannot ask for something different from the actual consultation to be written down: falsifying medical records is prohibited by law (Medical Service Act, Article 22).

Q. Can my parents see my records? A. In Korea, if you are 14 or over, family members cannot see your records without a consent form you have signed yourself, unless you are unable to consent, for example because you are unconscious (Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act, Article 13-3). They may still learn of a visit in other ways, such as payments.

Q. Can I go straight to a university hospital? A. In Korea, tertiary hospitals apply health insurance only with a referral letter (Rules on National Health Insurance Benefit Standards, Article 2). You can be seen without one, but health insurance will not apply (Seoul National University Hospital, n.d.).

Q. How do I apply for Korea’s counselling voucher (formerly “mind investment”)? A. With proof such as a referral letter from a community mental health centre or similar, a psychiatrist’s diagnosis or opinion, or a PHQ-9 score of 10 or more from a national health check-up in the past year, you apply at a local community centre or online through Bokjiro. You can apply once a year (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2026a). A mind.io self-check result does not count as proof.

Q. I do not know what to say at the first appointment. A. The psychiatrist leads the conversation by asking about why you came, your life, your feelings and your physical health (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2015a). If organising your thoughts is hard, writing down what you want to say beforehand may help (National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, n.d.).

Q. Things are so hard that I need help today. A. Do not wait for an appointment. Reach out to a crisis line right away: call or text 988 in the US and Canada, call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or find a line at findahelpline.com elsewhere. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services. In Korea, call 109 (24 hours, free).

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