Quarantine experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-COVID mental health outcomes: quarantine as a public health policy in China

Purpose Quarantine is an important public health policy to combat virus spreading during pandemics, but it can also have negative impacts on people’s mental well-being. The purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the post-COVID mental health impacts of quarantine experiences, and how the impacts vary among individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds. Design/methodology/approach In March and April of 2023, shortly after China gave up the zero-COVID policy approach, the research team conducted an online survey and asked respondents about their personal and family experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the national online survey, this study examines how different specificities of quarantine policies affected people’s post-COVID psychological distress levels in China, and how such effects were different for people in different socio-economic groups. Findings The results revealed that experiences of more frequent, longer and center-based quarantines were associated with worse post-COVID mental health status, but in several cases, these negative impacts could be more severe for socially advantaged groups. Originality/value The findings demonstrate detailed mechanisms of the negative impacts of quarantine experiences on post-pandemic mental wellbeing in China, and suggest the complex roles of quarantine policies in social stratification and inequalities. In future pandemic crises, in order to reduce social inequalities, the needs and struggles of different socio-economic groups should be considered when making public health policies.