A study of depression dynamics and contributing factors among individuals with disabilities pre and post-COVID-19

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders reports 2024-07, Vol.17, p.100793, Article 100793
• Main Authors: Jeong, Kyu-Hyoung, Kim, Sunghee, Lee, Seoyoon, Chang, Eun Jee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Depression; Disability; Korea
• ISSN: 2666-9153; 2666-9153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100793

•A gradual increase in depression levels over time among individuals with disabilities, shedding light on the long-term mental health impact within this population.•Gender, lower annual household income, severity of disability, and absence of a physical disability emerge as key factors influencing both the initial value and rate of change in depression.•It is recommended that a more disability-friendly healthcare system be implemented, especially during pandemics such as COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to investigate the trajectory of depression over time among all registered individuals with disability, including the period since the onset of COVID-19. In this study, we analyzed the results of the 12th-16th Korea Welfare Panel Study(KoWePS) which was conducted from 2017 to 2021. 793 individuals who were able to estimate the change in depression all period were selected for the final analysis. There was a significant increase in depression among people with disabilities occurs over time, and the level of depression rose gradually. Individuals being women, the lower the household income, the more severe the disability, and not having a physical disability was associated with the likelihood of higher depression. The health care system needs to be improved to be more disability-friendly to promote the health of people with disability, who are relatively more vulnerable during an infectious disease pandemic, such as COVID-19.