Socioeconomic status and depression across Japan, Korea, and China: Exploring the impact of labor market structures

Junko Nishimura

Social Science & Medicine, 2011, vol. 73, issue 4, 604-614

Abstract: This study explores the effects of socioeconomic status on depression in Japan, Korea, and China, focusing on the differences in their labor market structures. Comparative studies among East Asian societies allow researchers studying depression to analyze the effects of unique institutions within each society while holding constant, to a certain extent, cultural attitudes toward mental disorders. This study uses data from National Family Research of Japan 2003, Korean National Family Survey 2003, and Family Survey of China 2006 to examine the effects of education and labor market positions on depression. The results show that the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression differs among the three societies. In Japan, the type of employment contract has a significant impact on depression, while in Korea, higher educational attainment negatively relates to depression. In China, the type of work organization has a significant impact on depression. Based on these results, two types of labor market structures, aimed at differentiating the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression, are delineated: labor markets with a secured sector, and flexible labor markets.

Keywords: Japan; Korea; China; Depression; Socioeconomic; status; Labor; market; structure; Education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953611003765
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:73:y:2011:i:4:p:604-614

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
http://www.elsevier. ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

Access Statistics for this article

Social Science & Medicine is currently edited by Ichiro (I.) Kawachi and S.V. (S.V.) Subramanian

More articles in Social Science & Medicine from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().