Can Community Be Our Shelter? Exploring the Interaction Among Environmental Pollution, Community Support and Mental Health

While individual effects of community support and environmental pollution on mental health have been studied separately, the interplay between these factors has not been extensively explored. This paper investigates the impact of environmental pollution on mental health, with a particular focus on the mediating role of community support, using data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) conducted in 2021. The results of this study suggest that environmental pollution significantly correlates with poorer mental health outcomes. However, strong community support-encompassing social cohesion, collective efficacy, and resource sharing-ameliorates these negative effects. These findings provide empirical support for the Competence Enhancement Model in the context of China, highlighting the need for policies that integrate environmental management with community-based mental health interventions. Strengthening community resilience and fostering supportive social networks may serve as viable strategies for mitigating pollution's mental health burden.