Precarious Employment as Compared With Unemployment Reduces the Risk of Depression in the Elderly in Korea

Abstract

Objective: To compare how depression develops in precarious employment and in unemployment, as how precarious jobs impact unemployment-related depression is relatively unknown. Methods: Using the 1st to 4th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging survey data, 5638 older people were analyzed to measure depression incidence in relation to employment status. A Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale form was chosen to identify depression. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived from Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for a number of variables. Results: Unemployment-related depression risk was significantly higher than for precarious employment. Depression risk was significantly lower for male full-time permanent workers than precarious workers, but was not significantly different in women. Conclusions: To prevent the deterioration of mental health in the elderly, an extensive job promotion campaign including precarious work is required.