Negative effects on the economic well-being and quality of life have been reported after national social distancing measures due to COVID-19, suggesting that public health interventions to prevent the spread of infection are affecting the lives of the general population as a whole 20. The lack of interaction between people and restrictions on freedom may have significant impacts on the enjoyment of life as a human being 19. According to a previous study, mental health was affected by the strictness of quarantine policies and the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the Netherlands, UK, and France 18. Moreover, public health interventions implemented in several countries, such as lockdown and quarantine measures, may have affected mental health, including causing anxiety and depression, during COVID-19 pandemic 5, 17. Adverse mental health outcomes may arise from physical symptoms resembling COVID-19 infection mediated by the perceived impact of the pandemic and the absence of health information 16. The burden of mental health problems for the general population during COVID-19 continues to be reported, even when not under special circumstances, such as those infected with COVID-19 or the medical staff treating them 15. Furthermore, health care providers who have had direct contact with COVID-19 patients are more likely to experience anxiety and depression 14. A recent study of survivors of COVID-19 infection reported that markers related to the immune response were associated with anxiety and depression 12, and the frequency of depressive symptoms ≥ 12 weeks after COVID-19 infection was reported to be 11–28% 13. In patients infected with COVID-19, anxiety symptoms and fears regarding uncertainty about treatment and health outcomes can affect their mental health 11. The outbreak of COVID-19 also has caused a variety of psychological problems such as panic disorder, anxiety, and depression that can occur after major economic crises or natural disasters 7, 8, 9, 10. Group-level controls were also implemented to restrict face-to-face interactions, such as recommending physical or social distancing and forcing employees to work from home 4, 5, 6. At the individual level, measures such as wearing a mask, measuring body temperature when entering a building, and sanitizing hands were implemented. While many governments seek treatments and vaccines, most governments around the world have implemented various forms of anti-epidemic policies to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 2, 3. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of June 2022, more than 500 million cases have occurred worldwide, and about 6.3 million people have died from COVID-19 1. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which started in 2019, has completely changed the lives of people around the world. The preparation and observance of scientific quarantine rules can help mental health in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and another infectious disease pandemic that may come. People who do not comply with public health measures are more likely to be depressed. In participants with a high level of education, non-compliance with quarantine rules was significantly associated with depression. In the subgroup analysis, among the quarantine rules, not wearing a mask indoors was the most prominently associated with depression. Of 195,243 participants, 5,101 participants had depression. Depression was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores. The main independent variable was compliance with rules based on three performance variables (social distancing, wearing a mask in indoor facilities, and outdoors). Data from the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey were analyzed. We investigated the association of compliance with COVID-19 public health measures with depression. 17 letter words.Although previous studies have demonstrated increased depression related to COVID-19, the reasons for this are not well-understood.