Life Satisfaction and Depression among Older Adults during COVID-19: Examining Awareness and Use of Community Mental Health Welfare Centers

Abstract

Korea has significantly lower life satisfaction than other countries, with older adults reporting the lowest levels among all the age groups. Social isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic put older adults at a higher risk of depression. This study examined the awareness and use of mental health welfare centers among Korean older adults and how the use of these centers impacted life satisfaction and depression during the pandemic. The sample included data from 545 Korean older adults from the 2020 Seoul Welfare Survey. The current analyses included correlations, multivariate linear regression, and Hayes PROCESS macro. Among participants, 9.6% used community mental health centers, and 57.3% were unaware of their existence. Depression was positively associated with life satisfaction among older adults, indicating that participants may experience depression while objectively evaluating their life with satisfactory results. The use of these centers did not emerge as a mediator between depression and life satisfaction during the pandemic. Recommendations included further research into this area, raising awareness of mental health treatment options, reducing stigma toward mental health problems, and improving life satisfaction in depressed older adults via a strengths-based approach.