Journal
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
Volume 295, Issue -, Pages 40-49Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.010
Keywords
Depression; Housing tenure; Housing affordability; Housing-related factors; Age; Retirement
Categories
Funding
- Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and Seoul National University
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The study found that changes in housing tenure and affordability have a significant impact on depressive symptoms, persistent housing unaffordability and being a tenant may increase depressive symptoms, while new homeowners and individuals leaving unaffordability status show a trend of reducing depressive symptoms.
Introduction: Housing is an important social determinant of health. We investigated effects of changes in housing tenure and affordability on depressive symptoms. Methods: Data of 9,956 individuals aged >20 years from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (2015-2020) were analyzed. Housing tenure was categorized as homeowners or tenants. Individuals with housing-related expenditures exceeding 30% of household income were defined as having housing unaffordability. Analyses using generalized estimating equations were conducted to evaluate the relationship between changes in housing tenure and affordability on depressive symptoms measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: Individuals who became tenants (beta = 0.326, p = 0.027) or were persistent tenants (beta = 0.542, p<0.001) demonstrated significantly more severe depressive symptoms than persistent homeowners. Individuals with new (beta = 0.562, p < 0.001) or consistent housing unaffordability (beta = 1.032, p = 0.036) showed increased depressive symptoms compared with those with persistent housing affordability. Depressive symptoms were reduced in new homeowners and those who left housing unaffordability status (beta = -0.807, p = 0.031). The interaction between housing tenure and affordability on depressive symptoms differed by age and household composition. Housing tenure at post-retirement age and single-person households were associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms, respectively. Limitations: All housing-related factors, especially different domains of housing insecurity including unstable neighborhoods or reasons for moving, have not been identified. Conclusions: Changes in housing tenure, affordability, and the two combined were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the degree of interactive effect varied among age groups and household composition. Housing welfare policies that can stabilize housing tenure and affordability might help prevent depression.
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