Urban living environment changes and mental health responses: Building urban resilience in post-pandemic Shanghai

Over the past two decades, mental health has become a global public health concern. Although existing research suggests that the urban living environment is closely related to mental health changes, it remains unclear how this relationship evolves when the urban living environment undergoes sudden, citywide changes due to public health measures. To address this issue, we conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey in Shanghai during and after periods of citywide restriction and reopening, with data collected in May 2022 (during the lockdown), November–December 2022 (prior to the lifting of citywide restrictions), and May–June 2023 (the onset of the second infection wave). Out of 810 responses, 276, 215, and 195 participants provided valid responses in the first, second, and third waves, respectively, yielding a total of 686 valid questionnaires. We calculated the difference scores between each pair of waves and built linear regression models to analyze the determinants of mental health change across two transition periods. Results show that participants’ mental health improved overall. From the lockdown to reopening, improvements were driven by reduced individual stressors, lower family conflict, and higher housing and institutional satisfaction. From the reopening to the onset of the second infection wave, mental health changes were related to changes in individual stressors, housing satisfaction, and social connection. These findings reveal that the determinants of mental health differ across distinct phases of environmental change. The study contributes to understanding how individual stress and social connection jointly shape psychological resilience during crises. Beyond the pandemic, our results highlight the importance of integrating mental health and urban resilience into urban renewal and neighborhood governance agendas. Such integration is crucial for fostering adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable urban development in the face of future social or environmental disruptions.