Patterns of social exclusion and their relationship with depression among young adults in vulnerable housing: Evidence from South Korea’s goshiwons

This study aimed to identify latent profiles of social exclusion among young adults residing in goshiwons of South Korea, and their relationships with depression. Goshiwon is a form of compact living space comprising numerous small rooms tightly clustered together, typically falling short of basic housing requirements. A sample of 300 young goshiwon residents, aged 19–34, who had lived in goshiwons for over 6 months, was analyzed in this study. A three-step latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify meaningful subgroups of young adults living in goshiwons with similar social exclusion patterns and to examine the associations between these subgroups and the distal outcome, depression. Mplus 8.6 and Stata SE 17.0 was used for the analyses. A four-latent profile model showed the best fit. Emerging profiles were labeled as consumption exclusion, low consumption exclusion, intermediate exclusion, and multiple exclusion groups. The profiles were significantly associated with the distal outcome of depression. The multiple exclusion group exhibited the highest proportion (77.92%) of individuals identified as being at risk for depression, as assessed using a cut-off score on the CES-D scale. Furthermore, the regression model results indicated that neither the living conditions in goshiwons nor the duration of residence were associated with depression. These results highlight the detrimental effects of multiple forms of exclusion on the mental health of young adults living in goshiwons, emphasizing that interventions aimed at enhancing social interaction, as well as productive and consumption activities, should be prioritized.