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