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<p>Psycho-emotional well-being is particularly vulnerable during public health crises, when economic disadvantages accumulate at the neighborhood, household, and individual levels. Despite growing recognition of this vulnerability, studies have paid limited attention to spatially structured neighborhood disadvantage arising from the relative position of neighborhoods within surrounding socio-spatial contexts, or to the variation in psycho-emotional status over different epidemiological phases. Drawing on three waves of the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines how multi-level economic disadvantages, including household financial difficulties, workers’ perceived probability of job loss, and spatially structured neighborhood economic disadvantage, are associated with mental distress, future life expectations, and life satisfaction during the outbreak and containment phases. We find that although average levels of mental distress did not significantly differ between the outbreak and containment phases, residents were more pessimistic about their future during the outbreak period, with modest improvements during the containment phase. Living in neighborhoods marked by sustained spatially structured economic disadvantage, experiencing financial strain within the household, and facing a higher probability of job loss were all significantly associated with greater mental distress, more negative life expectations, and lower life satisfaction. Mediation analyses further reveal that mental distress and pessimistic future life expectations were key psycho-emotional pathways through which the multi-level disadvantages translated into lower life satisfaction during the containment phase. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring spatially structured neighborhood disadvantages, alleviating financial strain, and fostering confidence in the future through place- and time-sensitive interventions to support urban resilience during prolonged public health emergencies.</p>

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Multi-level Economic Disadvantages and Psycho-emotional Well-being of Hong Kong Residents During the COVID-19 Outbreak and Containment Periods

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月22日

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  • Chi Zhang,
  • Zhuoni Zhang

摘要

Psycho-emotional well-being is particularly vulnerable during public health crises, when economic disadvantages accumulate at the neighborhood, household, and individual levels. Despite growing recognition of this vulnerability, studies have paid limited attention to spatially structured neighborhood disadvantage arising from the relative position of neighborhoods within surrounding socio-spatial contexts, or to the variation in psycho-emotional status over different epidemiological phases. Drawing on three waves of the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines how multi-level economic disadvantages, including household financial difficulties, workers’ perceived probability of job loss, and spatially structured neighborhood economic disadvantage, are associated with mental distress, future life expectations, and life satisfaction during the outbreak and containment phases. We find that although average levels of mental distress did not significantly differ between the outbreak and containment phases, residents were more pessimistic about their future during the outbreak period, with modest improvements during the containment phase. Living in neighborhoods marked by sustained spatially structured economic disadvantage, experiencing financial strain within the household, and facing a higher probability of job loss were all significantly associated with greater mental distress, more negative life expectations, and lower life satisfaction. Mediation analyses further reveal that mental distress and pessimistic future life expectations were key psycho-emotional pathways through which the multi-level disadvantages translated into lower life satisfaction during the containment phase. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring spatially structured neighborhood disadvantages, alleviating financial strain, and fostering confidence in the future through place- and time-sensitive interventions to support urban resilience during prolonged public health emergencies.