Depression and Welfare Transitions of the National Basic Livelihood Protection Program

국민기초생활보장제도 수급지위 변화와 우울의 관계

This study examines a casaul relationship between depression and welfare transitions of the National Basic Likelihood Protection Program. From a social selection perspective, prior high levels of depression are likely to select people into welfare or serve as a barrier to leaving welfare. From a social causation perspective, entering or exiting welfare can change the levels of depression. These hypotheses were tested using KOWEPS(Korean Welfare Panel study) 2005~2007. The results are as follows. First, entering welfare clearly increases the levels of depression. The increased economic stress resulting from falling into poverty seems to play a major role in the negative effect of welfare entry. Second, exiting welfare does not decrease the levels of depression. However, when welfare exits are classified into distinctive categories, welfare exit combined with concurrent poverty exit is likely to decrease the levels of depression. Third, high levels of depression clearly increase the probability of entering welfare regardless of the prior poverty status. Fourth, high levels of depression do not decrease the probability of exiting welfare, but rather increase the probability of an administrative disentitlement which leads to even worse economic conditions after exiting welfare. One implication of these findings is that negative policies such as time limit and strengthening sanctions can increase the number of welfare cyclers who are able-bodied but mentally weak.

본 연구는 한국복지패널 1~3차년도 자료를 이용하여 우울과 국민기초생활보장제도 수급지위 변화의 관계를 분석하였다. 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 수급진입은 우울수준을 증가시킨다. 이는 주로 빈곤진입을 동반한 수급진입이 경제적 스트레스를 증가시켰기 때문으로 판단된다. 둘째, 수급탈출은 우울수준을 감소시키지 않는다. 하지만 수급탈출 중에서도 탈빈곤을 동반한 수급탈출의 경우에는 우울수준을 감소시킨다. 셋째, 높은 우울수준이 수급진입확률을 증가시킨다. 넷째, 높은 우울수준이 수급탈출 확률을 감소시키지 않는다. 수급탈출을 나누어 보면, 높은 우울수준은 탈출 후에도 여전히 빈곤한 수급탈출(탈락)의 가능성을 증가시킨다.