Urban density and depression during COVID-19 in Seoul: Moderating effects of social participation.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic, a global public health crisis, has had a profound and long-lasting impact on mental health worldwide. While existing studies on the pandemic have examined the relationship between urban characteristics and mental health, there remains a lack of understanding of the temporal distinctions of the pandemic, age-specific differences, and the role of social participation. This study empirically analyzed the relationship between COVID-19-related depressive symptoms and urban density characteristics, with a focus on the moderating effect of social participation by age group and pandemic phase. Using data from 25 Seoul districts in 2020 (initial phase) and 2021 (escalation phase), we measured depressive symptoms using a 10-point self-report scale. Urban density characteristic

SUBMITTER: Park J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12818643 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature