The association between dependent self-employment and self-reported depression/anxiety and sleep disorder in South Korea

Background: Dependent self-employment is precarious employment, which can be vulnerable to mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate the association of dependent self-employment with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder in South Korea.

Methods: This study used data from the Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey and included 32,691 paid workers. Dependent self-employment and self-reported depression/anxiety, and sleep disorder were investigated using a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between dependent self-employment and mental health problems.

Results: Of the 32,691 paid workers, 2,371 (7.3%) were dependent self-employed workers. The odds ratio (OR) of dependent self-employment for self-reported depression/anxiety was 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-2.45) and the OR of dependent self-employment for self-reported sleep disorder was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.01-1.59) compared to other paid workers.

Conclusions: Dependent self-employment is related to an increased risk of self-reported depression/anxiety and sleep disorder in South Korea.