"I am a listener."

▲Professor Hyung Keun Park of the Department of Psychiatry

“I am a listener. That psychiatrists talk a lot is merely a misconception.” Professor Hyung Keun Park listens to his patients’ stories to grasp the underlying meanings. Careful consideration of the patient’s environment and emotional dispositions increases diagnostic accuracy, leading to a faster and more effective subsequent treatment process. He walks alongside his patients through the dark tunnel of their minds, armed with a strong belief that they will get better.

Creating Path in Search for Answers

“I went to engineering school as I had dreamed of becoming a biomedical engineer. However, the more I studied, the more I realized that exploring life phenomena suits me better than engineering technologies. I also wanted to work face-to-face with people. Therefore, after graduating from my undergraduate program, I entered medical school again.” Professor Hyung Keun Park was mysteriously drawn to psychiatry, which deals with the unseen mind. His experience during his first year of residency gave him the reason to choose mood disorders and suicide as his specialty. When he was relocated to a psychiatric hospital, a young patient who had attempted suicide via poisoning was transferred. Professor Hyung Keun Park assessed the patient’s medical history as instructed in the textbook and admitted him to a closed ward, considering his recent suicide attempt. The day after he had prescribed intensive suicide risk management before leaving work, the patient died by suicide. It meant that all interventions that had been done to prevent suicide were ultimately incomplete.

“It was a shock. I realized what I had learned did not constitute complete knowledge. I had to figure out what could be done to improve the situation and decided to write about the characteristics of high-risk suicide attempt patients in my thesis. I wanted to treat and study patients with suicidal behavior, and Asan Medical Center was the perfect place for me, particularly because the hospital prioritized psychotherapy even though it is becoming less common. Here, a good treatment environment for patients was available through facilities like the Stress Psychotherapy Center.”

Psychiatry treatment requires training in attentively listening to patients’ stories. Through training and clinical experience in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral treatment, Professor Hyung Keun Park has learned how to respond to patients and what words would be most helpful for their treatment. “My perfectionist tendencies align with my efforts to collect a thorough medical history from the very first consultation to ensure an accurate diagnosis. I do not like saying, ‘Let’s wait and see.’ I provide my patients with the entire treatment process, emphasizing that mood disorders are definitely treatable. From the patient’s perspective, I know that being an outlet for their mental struggles is a priority for them. So, they might not find my approach satisfactory because I try to elicit more medical discussions to have a clearer picture of their condition. Well, I need to find the right balance.”

A Shortcut Found in Accurate Diagnosis

Professor Hyung Keun Park tries to avoid using the term ‘depression’ in official settings as much as possible. The disease called depression is largely divided into depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, with many subtypes within each, which again branches into various types influenced by different temperaments. If overlooked, the outcome and duration of treatment can vary significantly. For example, many patients come to Asan Medical Center after being diagnosed with depression and having been taking antidepressants, yet with no improvement. They are often diagnosed with bipolar disorder and respond well to mood stabilizers.

“Bipolar disorder may persist for a lifetime if not treated properly. Therefore, I invest significant time during the initial consultation to establish an accurate diagnosis. Also, during follow-up visits, I closely monitor whether the patient’s condition has switched from depression to bipolar disorder. If the drug response is atypical for depression, I carefully assess the possibility of a predispositions to bipolar disorder.”

While providing treatment for a sufficient duration at a sufficient dose, he attempts to discontinue treatment in consultation with the patient once stabilized. Professor Hyung Keun Park defines a good psychiatrist as someone who can distinguish between treatments they are proficient in, those they are not, and those they can realistically offer, ultimately deciding to refer the patient to the best possible place for effective treatment. “It is not easy to listen to patients’ sad stories, but they do get better after a few weeks or months. Discovering such changes is deeply rewarding, and that is why I feel I was meant for psychiatry.”

Professor Hyung Keun Park is developing a tool to diagnose and differentiate mood disorder and bipolar disorder by using the characteristics of depressed individuals who can better recall depressing information or whose attention is biased toward more depressing information. The mechanism is to look into erroneous cognitive systems that can be objectified and quantified even in the unconscious mind. “Instead of following trends, I want to explore deeper into what interests me and provide my patients with a sense of certainty, at least in my field.”

▲Professor Hyung Keun Park consulting with a patient in the clinic. 

The Mindset Towards the Final Session

Psychotherapy takes place when psychological intervention is needed in addition to prescribing medication and involves 45-minute sessions, often lasting over a year. As patients become aware of long-standing emotional pain or unconscious conflicts that even they themselves have not noticed, changes occur, and treatment comes to an end. “I am always overcome with emotion in the final session as I recall the patient’s long struggle to free themselves from pain. I feel a mix of joy, respect, and hope for their continued well-being.” From the first consultation, which begins with a welcoming greeting, to the final session, where he wishes patients a healthy future, Professor Hyung Keun Park wants to be a psychiatrist who gives patients confidence to confide in without concern. He maintains calm while leading the treatment process, but he always fights a desperate and intense battle inside, striving to restore patients to the they were in before the illness began, before thoughts of wanting to die arose.