Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2023 Nov;32(4):215-224. 10.5807/kjohn.2023.32.4.215.

Pre and Post Covid-19 Changes in Depression Scores by Employment Type, and Its Influencing Factors: Using the 12th~17th Data of the Korea Welfare Panel

• Kim J
• Heo K
• Jung J

• KMID: 2551021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5807/kjohn.2023.32.4.215

Abstract

Purpose
This study uses data from the 12th~17th Korea Welfare Panel (2017~2022) to analyze changes in depression scores due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the factors that influenced depression scores according to employment type.
Methods
The difference in depression scores according to employment types before COVID-19 (12th~14th) and after COVID-19 (15th~17th) was analyzed. A fixed-effect model analysis was conducted before and after the occurrence of COVID-19.
Results
After the outbreak of COVID-19, job satisfaction and family life satisfaction influenced the depression scores of regular wage workers. After the outbreak of COVID-19, annual income, health status, and satisfaction with family life affected the depression scores of non-regular wage workers. After the outbreak of COVID-19, leisure life satisfaction and family relationship satisfaction influenced the depression scores of self-employed. Self-esteem played a role as a control variable in lowering the depression scores of regular and non-regular workers, but did not play a role as a control variable for self-employed.
Conclusion
Rather than the direct impact of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, social and economic changes resulting from policies implemented to prevent the spread affect workers' depression, and the impact varies depending on the type of employment. When implementing policies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the future, policies that take employment type into consideration rather than uniform policies should be prepared, and measures for mental health also need to be prepared.

Keyword

COVID-19; Depression; Fixed effects model