This file photo shows a residential area of the eastern Seoul ward of Gwangjin. (Yonhap)
SUWON, March 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The risk of contracting depression is higher among people in the lowest income tier due to COVID-19, depending on their respective economic circumstances, a study showed Thursday.
The Gyeonggi Research Institute conducted a survey of 2,000 people living in 17 cities and provinces in the country, which showed the risk of contracting depression among members of the lowest income tier making less than 1 million won (US$773) per month (32.8 percent) was higher than the highest income tier making more than 5 million won per month (13.4 percent).
The proportion of those who had considered committing suicide during the pandemic was much higher among the lowest income tier (24.1 percent) than the highest income tier (6.7 percent).
Single-person households were more likely to contract depression (21.6 percent) than households with two or more members (17.2 percent).
For men, in particular, the gap between households was much wider at 22.9 percent among single-person households, and 14.5 percent for households with two or more members.
The proportion of those who had considered committing suicide during the pandemic was much higher among single-person households (13.5 percent) than households with two or more members (7.7 percent).
Only 8.9 percent of respondents who did not have any stigmatizing perception of COVID-19 showed depressive symptoms.
Those who felt a “certain level of blame” or “significant level of blame” towards COVID-19 patients, however, struggled with a higher proportion of depressive symptoms (56.6 percent).
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
