IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i11p6130-d569903.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Environmental Quality Perception on Depression: Subjective Social Class as a Mediator

Author

Listed:
  • Liqin Zhang

    (School of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
    Department of Psychology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
    Psychological Application Research Center, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China)

  • Lin Wu

    (School of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China)

Abstract

Although the relationship between environment and public depression has aroused heated debate, the empirical research on the relationship between environmental quality perception and public depression is still relatively insufficient. This paper aims to explore the influence of environmental quality perception on public depression and the mediating role of subjective social class between environmental quality perception and public depression. Using the China Family Panel Studies data of 2016 for empirical analysis, this study’s results show that environmental quality perception has a significant effect on public depression and subjective social class also has a significant effect on public depression. In addition, we found that subjective social class can play a partial mediating role between environmental quality perception and public depression, and the intermediary effect only comes from the contribution of the perception of living environmental quality, not the perception of overall environmental quality. That is to say, the perception of living environment quality deeply affects the subjective social class, and then induces public depression. In order to alleviate the relationship between environmental quality and public depression, it is recommended that the state environmental protection department and civil affairs department strengthen the improvement of public living environment so as to promote individual subjective social class and reduce the risk of public depression. Moreover, it is suggested that research with longitudinal design and comprehensive indicators be undertaken in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Liqin Zhang & Lin Wu, 2021. "Effects of Environmental Quality Perception on Depression: Subjective Social Class as a Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:6130-:d:569903
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6130/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/6130/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sekulova, Filka & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2016. "Floods and happiness: Empirical evidence from Bulgaria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 51-57.
    2. McGovern, Pauline & Nazroo, James, 2015. "Patterns and causes of health inequalities in later life: A Bourdieusian approach," Greenwich Papers in Political Economy 14583, University of Greenwich, Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre.
    3. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Valuing Air Quality Using Happiness Data: The Case of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 29-36.
    4. Giovanis, Eleftherios & Ozdamar, Oznur, 2018. "Health status, mental health and air quality: evidence from pensioners in Europe," MPRA Paper 86483, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Nina Jakoby, 2016. "Socioeconomic Status Differences in Negative Emotions," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 21(2), pages 93-102, May.
    6. Mi Zhou & Guangsheng Zhang & Scott Rozelle & Kaleigh Kenny & Hao Xue, 2018. "Depressive Symptoms of Chinese Children: Prevalence and Correlated Factors among Subgroups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-10, February.
    7. Jing Ma & Chunjiang Li & Mei-Po Kwan & Yanwei Chai, 2018. "A Multilevel Analysis of Perceived Noise Pollution, Geographic Contexts and Mental Health in Beijing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, July.
    8. Zhang, Jiaping & Cheng, Mingwang & Yu, Ning, 2020. "Internet Use and Lower Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Effect of Environmental Quality Perception," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    9. Manxi Cheng, 2020. "Are people happier with larger green space? A study of greenness and happiness in urban China," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 183-201, April.
    10. Dohoon Lee & Margot Jackson, 2017. "The Simultaneous Effects of Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Child Health on Children’s Cognitive Development," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(5), pages 1845-1871, October.
    11. Lian Gu & Juanjuan Xie & Jianxiong Long & Qing Chen & Qiang Chen & Runde Pan & Yan Yan & Guangliang Wu & Baoyun Liang & Jinjing Tan & Xinfeng Xie & Bo Wei & Li Su, 2013. "Epidemiology of Major Depressive Disorder in Mainland China: A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-9, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fangfang Hou & Xiao Han & Qiong Wang & Shuai Zhou & Jingya Zhang & Guodong Shen & Yan Zhang, 2022. "Cross-Sectional Associations between Living and Built Environments and Depression Symptoms among Chinese Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-12, May.
    2. Baoxi Li & De Xiao, 2021. "The Impact of Income Inequality on Subjective Environmental Pollution: Individual Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-26, July.
    3. Zihan Kan & Mei-Po Kwan & Mee Kam Ng & Hendrik Tieben, 2022. "The Impacts of Housing Characteristics and Built-Environment Features on Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-19, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liqin Zhang & Lin Wu, 2021. "Community Environment Perception on Depression: The Mediating Role of Subjective Social Class," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Lohmann, Paul & Pondorfer, Andreas & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2019. "Natural Hazards and Well-Being in a Small-Scale Island Society," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 344-353.
    3. Fluhrer, Svenja & Kraehnert, Kati, 2022. "Sitting in the same boat: Subjective well-being and social comparison after an extreme weather event," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Pan Zhang & Zhiguo Wang, 2019. "PM 2.5 Concentrations and Subjective Well-Being: Longitudinal Evidence from Aggregated Panel Data from Chinese Provinces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Arik Levinson, 2020. "Happiness and air pollution," Chapters, in: David Maddison & Katrin Rehdanz & Heinz Welsch (ed.), Handbook on Wellbeing, Happiness and the Environment, chapter 9, pages 164-182, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Mozhgan Asna-ashary & Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Mehdi Feizi & Saeed Malek Sadati, 2020. "COVID-19 Outbreak and Air Pollution in Iran: A Panel VAR Analysis," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202016, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    7. Yingqi Wei & Sasa Ding & Ziko Konwar, 2022. "The two faces of FDI in environmental performance: a meta-analysis of empirical evidence in China," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 65-94, January.
    8. Papageorgiou, Athanasios, 2018. "The Effect of Immigration on the Well-Being of Native Populations: Evidence from the United Kingdom," MPRA Paper 93045, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Keita, Sekou & Schewe, Paul, 2021. "Out of sight, out of mind? Terror in the home country, family reunification options, and the well-being of refugees," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    10. Mi Zhou & Biyu Bian & Weiming Zhu & Li Huang, 2021. "A Half Century of Research on Childhood and Adolescent Depression: Science Mapping the Literature, 1970 to 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Qianqian Liu & Guanpeng Dong & Wenzhong Zhang & Jiaming Li, 2022. "The Influence of Air Pollution on Happiness and Willingness to Pay for Clean Air in the Bohai Rim Area of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    12. Yang Xiao & Siyu Miao & Chinmoy Sarkar & Huizhi Geng & Yi Lu, 2018. "Exploring the Impacts of Housing Condition on Migrants’ Mental Health in Nanxiang, Shanghai: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Wei Liu, 2019. "Recognition of, and beliefs about, causes of mental disorders: A cross‐sectional study of US and Chinese undergraduate nursing students," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(1), pages 28-36, March.
    14. Wang, Jinxian & Wang, Yangjie & Sun, Cuicui & Chen, Xiaohong, 2021. "Does mandatory air quality information disclosure raise happiness? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    15. Eleftherios Giovanis & Oznur Ozdamar & Sahizer Samuk, 2021. "Health status and willingness-to-pay estimates for the benefits of improved recycling rates: evidence from Great Britain," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-28, January.
    16. Yvonne M. Sevilla & Resty L. Picardo & Joel B. Serad & Joan P. Bacarisas & Rosenie S. Coronado & Geronima Emma A. Amores, 2024. "Socio-Demographic and Health-Related Predictors of Perceived Academic Performance of Students: An Academe-Centered Analysis," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 11(9), pages 672-721, September.
    17. Peng Zhou & Siwei Sun & Tao Chen & Yue Pan & Wanqing Xu & Hailu Zhang, 2022. "Impacts of Social Inequality, Air Pollution, Rural–Urban Divides, and Insufficient Green Space on Residents’ Health in China: Insight from Chinese General Social Survey Data Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-17, October.
    18. Dongliang Yang & Xiangheng Liu & Zhichao Ren & Mingna Li, 2022. "Relation between Noise Pollution and Life Satisfaction Based on the 2019 Chinese Social Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-13, June.
    19. Tovar Reaños, Miguel A., 2021. "Floods, flood policies and changes in welfare and inequality: Evidence from Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    20. Aatishya Mohanty & Nattavudh Powdthavee & Cheng Keat Tang & Andrew J. Oswald, 2024. "Temperature Variability and Natural Disasters," Papers 2409.14936, arXiv.org.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:6130-:d:569903. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.