Impact of environment in built-up areas on depressive mood: Evidence from China

The environment in built-up areas has a significant impact on mental health, but the extent of this impact needs to be further quantified. This study is a pioneering article that, from a macro perspective, utilized internet big data platform to obtain continuous data for various cities from 2015 to 2021, and investigated mental health issues at the prefecture-level city scale. This study explored spatiotemporal distribution of depression through GIS analysis methods and impact of environmental indicators in built-up areas on depression through panel regression analysis. The results showed that (1) the areas with a high depression index were mainly concentrated in the eastern region and some first-tier cities in other regions. (2) The depression index increased gradually over time. (3) The effects of gross regional product (GRP), number of students enrolment in regular secondary schools, tertiary industry as percentage to GRP, loans of national banking system, and number of subscribers of Internet services were relatively stable, and the growth of these indicators led to an increase in the depression index. Based on these results, future urban development should adopt region-specific measures to address people's mental health issues and ensure that economic development is accompanied by a focus on mental well-being.