Associations between substandard housing and depression: Insights from the Korea Welfare Panel Study

Abstract

Background Housing is an important social determinant of health. Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including mental health. The study aimed to investigate the association between substandard housing and depression. Methods We used panel data collected by the Korea Welfare Panel Study and a sample drawn from waves 11 (2016) to 13 (2018). Substandard housing was defined via three criteria: the minimum residential area and number of rooms by application, essential facility standards, and environmental standards. Depression was measured with the CESD-11. A generalized estimating equation model was used to investigate associations between substandard housing and CESD-11 scores. Results Participants living in substandard housing have higher depression scores (male: β = 0.63, female: β = 0.40) than participants who do not live in substandard housing. Participants who do not meet environmental standards have higher depression scores (male: β = 0.85, female: β = 0.66) than participants who do not live in substandard housing; the findings are seen in both men and women. Conclusion This study identified an association between substandard housing and depression by gender, and the results were significant. We found that among the three criteria, environmental standards are most likely to be associated with depression. In practical terms, we should consider improving environmental factors of housing to mitigate mental health issues related to substandard housing.

A Data-Driven Analysis of Sociocultural, Ecological, and Economic Correlates of Depression Across Nations

“…There has also been research on how human-caused damage to the environment relates to depression. For example, depression has now been linked to water and air pollution (Lin et al, 2017; Liu, Chen, et al, 2020; Shao et al, 2021), mold and dampness (Shenassa et al, 2007), malnutrition (Aydoğan et al, 2019; Ghimire et al, 2018; Wei et al, 2018), low-quality housing (Kim, Jeong, et al, 2021), and living in cities (James et al, 2017), although the mechanisms behind some of these associations are still unknown. Nations with high levels of conflict—both with other nations and within the nation—may also have higher rates of depression because of the psychological toll of war and other forms of conflict on mental health (Farhood et al, 2013; Miller & Rasmussen, 2010; Thabet et al, 2004).…”