Impact of pre-existing depression and food insecurity on the trajectory of depressive symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in South Africa: A panel analysis of nationally representative South African data

Philile Dladla-Jaca (), Busisiwe P. Ncama, Yoshan Moodley, Nafiisa Sobratee-Fajurally, Rashieda Davids, Mjabuliseni Simon C. Ngidi, Catherine Sutherland, Muthulisi Siwela, Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, Albert T. Modi, Rob Slotow, Jonathan K. Burns and Andrew Tomita
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Philile Dladla-Jaca: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Busisiwe P. Ncama: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Yoshan Moodley: Stellenbosch University
Nafiisa Sobratee-Fajurally: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Rashieda Davids: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Mjabuliseni Simon C. Ngidi: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Catherine Sutherland: University of KwaZulu Natal
Muthulisi Siwela: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Albert T. Modi: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Rob Slotow: Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Jonathan K. Burns: University of Exeter
Andrew Tomita: University of KwaZulu-Natal

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, No 11, 1009-1018

Abstract: Abstract We investigated the trajectory of depressive symptoms (“depression”) from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa (March 2020) until 2021, between individuals with and without pre-pandemic depression, specifically regarding the role of food security. Our investigation used publicly available panel data (N = 6,930) from the South African National Income Dynamics Study Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (SA-NIDS-CRAM from 2020–2021) on those who had also participated in the pre-pandemic South African National Income Dynamics Study (SA-NIDS, 2017) depression interview. We investigated trends in depressive symptomatology (based on a 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire) at SA-NIDS-CRAM Wave 2 (July 2020), Wave 3 (February 2021) and Wave 5 (May 2021). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) with post-estimation linear combinations of estimators were fitted to investigate the roles of pre-pandemic depression (based on 2017 SA-NIDS data) and food insecurity during the pandemic on depressive symptomatology. During the pandemic, the highest levels of depression were observed consistently among those with pre-pandemic depression and food insecurity; and were lowest among those without pre-pandemic depression and food security. Depressive symptomatology rose in nearly equal magnitude during the early phases of the pandemic in two groups: those without pre-pandemic depression but food insecure during the pandemic; as well as those with pre-pandemic depression but food secure during the pandemic. However, this dynamic changed later in the pandemic, when higher depressive symptomatology was observed in the group with both pre-pandemic depression and food insecurity, widening the gap between them from Wave 3 (adj β = 0.63, p

Keywords: Food security; Covid-19; Depression; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01448-x

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