Role of the neighborhood environment in psychological resilience

Abstract

Psychological resilience of residents is an important but often neglected component of community and urban resilience. This study explores what neighborhood environment features contribute to better psychological resilience. Using a survey conducted in Greater Melbourne during a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we examined the role of the neighborhood physical and social environments in mitigating the psychological shock of the pandemic. Overall, we found that suburban residents are more resilient in mental health than those in the inner city. In particular, the mental health of residents living in middle-density suburbs is least likely to be severely impacted. We further found that neighborhood walkability, vegetation cover, and social cohesion all contribute to better psychological resilience. Walkability and social cohesion influence psychological resilience indirectly through affecting the perceived risks of COVID-19 infection and satisfaction with neighborhood during the lockdown, whereas neighborhood greenery has a direct and beneficial effect on psychological resilience. These findings imply that planning interventions to improve neighborhood walkability and greenness, and foster social cohesion may help improve the psychological resilience of local residents, and hence promote urban resilience. These findings also support middle-density development, which promotes walkability and proximity to nature, as well as a close-knit community.