The impact of restrictions of the use of public open space on the mental health of different gender under COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

There is a preconception that only outdoor open areas are counted as public open spaces. Indeed, public open space can be privately-owned, such as shopping malls and supermarkets. Being densely populated, Hong Kong has many different kinds of public open spaces surrounded in the residential buildings. As a result, using public open spaces has become an indispensable part of daily lives of citizens. With the growing importance, how the quality and quantity of public open spaces affect people has been put under the spotlight, especially its mental impacts. There are many studies tried to investigate the positive relationship between public open spaces and its mental impacts. Nevertheless, since public open spaces are seldom closed, there is lack of studies tried to explore the relationship between restricted use of public open spaces and negative mental impacts. Therefore, this dissertation aims at examining the negative mental impacts of restricted use of public open spaces during the pandemic in accordance with genders.