Impact of COVID-19 on perceived risk and mental health among public transport users in a medium-sized metropolitan area in Spain

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of the population worldwide. However, little is known about the mental health impact on collectives such as health and essential workers or public transport users. Previous literature has shown how traveling in confined spaces with other people might lead to conditions of stress or anxiety. However, since most studies have focused on crime-related safety, more research is needed on the perceived risk of contagion and its association with transit users’ mental health. The aim of this study is, first, to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depression levels of public transport users and, second, to explore the influence of these conditions on the perception of public transport safety. METHODS: A random sample of public transport users (N=2,791) were surveyed at the main bus stations and stops in the main two cities of the Tarragona Metropolitan Region (Reus and Tarragona) between October 2020 and January 2021. RESULTS:Preliminary results show how the number of public transport users that frequently felt sadness in the past weeks increased by 6.8 percentual points after COVID-19’s outbreak (from 5.16% in 2019 to 12.0% in 2020), and those who frequently felt fear and anxiety increased by 13 points (from 5.8% in 2019 to18.8% in 2020). Regarding their perceived risk of contagion, public transport was the space where they felt a higher risk (5.5/10), in contrast with their home (1.6/10). Public transport vehicles were the spaces within a trip where participants felt a higher threat of contagion (5.6/10) in comparison with stops at the origin (3.8/10) and at the destination (3.6/10). CONCLUSIONS:Understanding the factors associated with the perception of virus-related safety such as COVID-19 is key for the retention of public transport users, which has become a major challenge for many cities around the world. KEYWORDS: Mental health outcomes, Socio-economic factors, Others: COVID-19