84.5% of Gyeonggi Residents "Stressed by the Three Highs: High Prices and More"

Survey Results on the Mental Health Status of Gyeonggi Province Residents by the Gyeonggi Research Institute

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] A survey revealed that more than 8 out of 10 residents of Gyeonggi Province have experienced increased stress due to the triple economic crisis of high interest rates, high inflation, and high exchange rates.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute published a report titled "Mental Health Status of Vulnerable Groups in Crisis Situations and Policy Response Measures" on the 9th, based on a survey conducted from November to December last year involving 1,003 residents of the province.

The survey showed that 84.5% of respondents reported increased stress due to the triple crisis. This is 12.2 percentage points higher than the 72.3% who reported increased stress due to COVID-19.

Regarding the severity of depression (PHQ-9 scale: 0?27 points), the proportion of respondents classified as "depressed" increased from 16.5% in March 2021 to 56.8%.

By household characteristics, basic livelihood security recipients showed higher levels of depression than non-recipients, and single-person households showed higher depression levels than multi-person households. In particular, the more stress respondents experienced due to the triple economic crisis, the higher their depression scores consistently were.

The depression score of respondents who answered "I am very stressed" was 8.20 points (mild depression), compared to 2.42 points (no depression) for those who answered "I am not stressed at all."

Accordingly, the Gyeonggi Research Institute suggested ▲ targeted measures to identify vulnerable groups and uncover blind spots according to crisis characteristics ▲ proactive responses to prepare for increased suicide rates after the crisis ends ▲ strengthening linked services between counseling centers and administrative welfare centers ▲ follow-up surveys to accurately assess mental health levels and changes.

Yoo Jung-kyun, a research fellow at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, emphasized, "Recent mental health issues are closely related to COVID-19 and economic difficulties," adding, "It is necessary to examine the vulnerable factors affecting these issues and provide tailored support."