Employment status,material hardship,and mental health among low-income working-age adults in South Korea |
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Authors: | RaeHyuck Lee Jaeseung Kim Joyce Shim |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Social Welfare, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, South Korea;2. Department of Social Welfare, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South 3. Korea;4. School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) Delhi, New York, Delhi, USA |
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Abstract: | The current study examines the associations between employment status and mental health and the mediating role of material hardship among low-income households in South Korea. This study uses regression models with a rich set of control variables and lagged dependent variable models with a nationally representative sample of 1113 low-income working-age household heads from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS). We find that the nonstandard employment and unemployment statuses are associated with a higher level of depression and a lower level of self-esteem, when compared to a standard employment status. These negative associations are partially mediated by an increased material hardship risk. Policy implications to improve employment conditions and mitigate material hardship are discussed. |
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Keywords: | employment status KOWEPS low-income working-age adults material hardship mental health |
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