Hanbei Cheng

Migrants' mental health has become an increasing public health concern amid persistent social and cultural displacement. Although social integration is widely recognised as a key determinant of mental health, existing research has largely focused on integration deficits, while overlooking imbalanced forms of integration. We address this gap by examining superficial integration, in which frequent face‐to‐face interactions outpace migrants' sense of belonging. Using original survey data from Wuhan and multigroup structural equation modelling (MG‐SEM), we investigated how social integration influences migrants' mental health through digital‐social processes across generations. We found that the mental health consequences of social integration depend not on social interaction or belonging alone, but on their social asymmetries. Frequent interactions become psychologically detrimental when they are not accompanied by a corresponding sense of belonging, revealing the adverse effects of superficial integration. We further identified two complementary mechanisms underlying this relationship. First, social media engagement intensifies the health consequences of social integration by strengthening both the benefits of belonging and the psychological costs of interaction. Second, a stronger destination‐city belonging reduces perceived relative deprivation with respect to migrants' places of origin, thereby improving mental health, particularly among younger migrants. By moving beyond the deficit‐based view of migrant integration, this study highlights the importance of examining how integration unfolds unevenly across social, digital, and spatial contexts. Our findings call for policies that go beyond increasing social contact and instead promote meaningful, emotionally supportive, and locally embedded forms of integration.

While economic drivers of return migration are well‐studied, the associated social mechanisms and generational nuances remain underexplored. This study investigates how migrants' economic resources in their hometowns influence return intentions through place attachment, with a specific focus on generational differences. Using first‐hand nationwide survey data and multigroup structural equation modeling (MG‐SEM), we find significant intergenerational disparities. Older migrants exhibit stronger return intentions. Although both generations maintain similarly high homeownership rates (approximately 75%), homeownership significantly influences return intentions only for the older generation. For younger migrants, hometown income is a strong predictor of return, suggesting a focus on financial security. Surprisingly, landholdings are insignificant for both groups, implying a shift away from traditional agricultural livelihoods. Although direct economic effects vary generationally, the indirect influence of place attachment remains consistent across generations. Our multidimensional conceptualization of place attachment reveals its positive, progressively moderating role. Favorable economic conditions facilitate stronger hometown‐oriented behaviors, such as longer visits, which in turn strengthen place identity and promote return migration. This progressive place mechanism is particularly pronounced among older homeowners, emphasizing the enduring influence of place‐based identity. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of return migration, moving beyond purely economic explanations to incorporate the complex interplay of proximity‐seeking behavior and psychosocial factors. Our results have implications for targeted rural revitalization strategies in China, particularly for addressing population imbalances and leveraging return migration for regional development.

Current research on public spaces and mental health often focuses on the independent relationship of one or more social mediators, neglecting the nuanced implications and serial mechanisms inherent in the progressive social process. Using Wuhan city, China, as a study case with multi-source data, this research applies Multilevel Generalized Structural Equation Modeling and deep learning techniques to explore the differential effects of public spaces with varying degrees of publicness (i.e., typical, semi-, and privately owned) on rural migrants’ mental health. Crucially, this study scrutinizes both explicit (social interaction) and implicit (perceived integration) social mechanisms to revisit the relationships. The findings reveal that not all public spaces equally influence mental health, with typical and privately owned public spaces conferring profound benefits. Notably, public spaces impact mental health chiefly through perceived integration instead of through direct social interaction. Social interaction improves mental health primarily by enhancing perceived integration, suggesting that meaningful connections beyond superficial encounters are critical. In particular, we observed significant social effects in typical and privately owned public spaces but limited social functionality in semi-public spaces. This evidence contributes to the knowledge required to create supportive social environments within public spaces, integral to nurturing inclusive urban development.

This study investigates the role of sense of place (SoP) in the relationship between the neighbourhood environment (NE) and subjective well‐being (SWB), focusing on Chinese migrants who face spatial and cultural displacement. Beyond previous research, we further consider the influence of residential length. Surveying 716 migrants in Wuhan in 2018, we explore the dynamic place mechanisms underlying the association between the NE and SWB. Our findings reveal that the physical and social aspects of the NE, particularly walkability and social integration, significantly impact migrants' SWB. Moreover, SoP mediates the relationship between the NE and SWB, highlighting the social production function of people and places in communities. Long‐term residence does not directly affect migrants' SWB, yet just indirectly influence SWB through SoP. This underscores the ongoing pertinence and significance of SoP, connecting residential stability to positive social implications. This study concludes that the place mechanism underlying the association between the NE and migrants' SWB operates both through migrants' emotional connections to a specific place (SoP) and the reinforcement of place experience resulting from a longer duration of residence. To establish inclusive communities, we propose planning and governance measures that enhance space quality, empower neighbourhoods to foster SoP, strengthen residential stability, and improve migrants' SWB.

The outbreak of COVID-19 posed a challenge to global governance, residents’ happiness, and economic systems around the world. Since the crux of previous research centers on the reactions of both local and national governments, studies on how governance arrangement at the neighborhood level influences people’s happiness during the crisis response remain insufficient. This paper aims to explore the relationship between neighborhood governance and residents’ happiness based on first-hand data collected during Wuhan’s first lockdown. This study highlights the significance of neighborhood governance in crisis response, which includes providing diverse public services, ensuring access to life’s necessities, and offering prompt medical treatment. All of these factors are essential for maintaining overall satisfaction with governance and contributing to the happiness of individuals within the community. However, active governance actions do not always lead to favorable results. For example, increased group participation may lead to social conflicts among those involved, ultimately diminishing one’s happiness. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a risk ‘amplifier’, exposing and exacerbating pre-existing hukou-based social inequalities in the governance process. The impact of the pandemic on citizen happiness is the cumulative effect of both the immediate social crisis brought on by the pandemic and long-standing structural inequalities. To improve people’s happiness and establish inclusive policies, this paper advocates for a ‘people-centered’ urban governance that enhances public satisfaction and addresses the needs and priorities of migrant populations.