ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses socioeconomic factors associated with depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi. There are many mental health disorders – ranging from anxiety to depression, all the way to phobias. The after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been detrimental to citizens’ social and economic welfare at both national and household levels. Socially, the containment measures and restrictions directly affected access to social services, such as child healthcare and education, religion, and culture. Economically, the pandemic has slowed down the global economy, the national economy, and household income by losing jobs and businesses. The current study used the sixth wave of the 2021–2022 High-Frequency Phone Survey on COVID-19 produced by the Malawi National Statistical Office. The survey had 1,584 respondents. The current study found that males (19%) were more likely to be depressed than females (17%), indicating that gender-specific factors may contribute to depression. Further, the older age group (55+ years) seemed to have less depression, which suggests that certain protective factors may develop with age. In addition, the effect of wealth status on depression was heterogeneous, suggesting that dealing with depression may require a multifaceted approach that considers factors beyond financial resources.
