Can urban prosperity aid in recovery?: The relationship between healthcare workers' mental health status and the city level during the COVID-19 epidemic

Abstract

The mental health of healthcare workers during epidemics is a complex topic. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that occurred in late 2019 has become a global public health threat and provides an opportunity to investigate this topic. Based on a large-scale investigation of Chinese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 epidemic, the article tests the assumption that the socioeconomic level of a city affects the mental health status of healthcare workers. The result is interesting and important: the mental health status of this population differs based on the city level. Hospital level, hospital type and departments risk level were investigated separately. With regard to the degree of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there were obvious differences based on the city level: the negative mental health impacts increase with increasing city level, such that healthcare workers in first-tier cities have the least negative mental health impacts, while those in third-tier cities have the most. City level reflects the degree of urban development, resource richness, resident satisfaction, and positive social atmosphere. Urban prosperity may affect mental health.