Estimating Anticipatory, Immediate, and Delayed Effects of Disability Registration on Depressive Symptoms

Purpose: This study examines (a) whether disability registration has anticipatory, immediate, and delayed effects on depressive symptoms and (b) how these effects differ by gender. Research Method/Design: Using data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study spanning over 16 waves between 2005 and 2020, this study employed the individual-level fixed effects models to estimate the trajectories of depressive symptoms before and after the registration of physical disability, for a cohort of 20,054 individuals. Furthermore, gender-stratified fixed effects models were used to examine gender differences. Results: Compared to the pre-registration reference period (i.e., 4 or more years before disability registration), there was a sustained rise in depressive symptoms leading up to the year of registration, indicating the presence of anticipatory effects. After disability registration, depressive symptoms consistently remained at a statistically higher level than during the initial reference period, with a gradual return to the baseline level of depressive symptoms over time. These anticipatory, immediate, and delayed effects of disability registration were notably more pronounced among men than women. Conclusion/Implications: To develop more effective mental health interventions for people with disability, policymakers should consider gendered trajectories of depressive symptoms before and after disability registration.