Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of the income change and income level during the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals’ depression, and to test how those associations may differ by gender. Participants consisted of 634 adults(Mage=44.18, SDage=13.88, 313 females) recruited through an online research company. Participants completed a set of questionnaires that measured income change, average monthly income for the past six months, and the Korean version of CES-D. The results indicated that decreases in income, but not levels of income, significantly predicted levels of depression. Furthermore, both income change and income level interacted with gender to predict depression. Specifically, income change predicted depression only for males, while income level predicted depression only for females. These findings suggest that the effects of income-related indicators on depression during the pandemic may differ by gender. The study also offers practical implications by proposing gender as a potential factor to consider in early identification and intervention to prevent depression during the pandemic.