Green Space for Mental Health in the COVID-19 Era: A Pathway Analysis in Residential Green Space Users

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This study investigates important topics related to use of urban green space, mental health, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Light editing for grammatical errors needed.

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for assessing our work. We have made language editing and improved the manuscript according to the comments from other reviewers.

Reviewer 2 Report

The aim of the work was to investigate the association of residential green space with depression and anxiety through three hypothesized mediators: social cohesion, perceived pollution  (air and noise), and green exercise. The study based on the results of a cross-sectional survey, performed with the use of Chinese social media. As the majority of responders were young or middle aged Chinese residents the results suggested that residential green space may be the main urban green space where young and middle-aged  Chinese carried out green exercise. Residential green space was negatively associated with depression and anxiety through direct and/or indirect pathways. To obtain such results data were reworked statistically, structural equations modelling was employed and a goodness of fit was checked.

The paper is clear and presents a novel approach to the green space role during the Covid-19 pandemic time. Moreover it is  very well written and it is difficult to find other weaknesses of the survey results than those listed by the authors regarding eventual disproportions in responding people, and especially the age structure, emphasising young and middle aged people, which is not consistent with the general population of China and the results obtained from the group of responders representative for the China population may have been completely different.    

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for assessing our work and the encouraging words. We have made language editing and improved the manuscript according to the comments from other reviewers.

Reviewer 3 Report

The aim of this study is to a pathway analysis in residential green space users in the Covid19 era for mental health. This addressed an important topic that is relevant to mental health which included the pathway with green space parameters. My major concern is that the novelty is normal in this article and the practical implication is too rough. Using different methods in this study to examine the keywords in respondents’ reasons for green exercise in green space for different users. The content is rough as line 223-226. This article is more like a technical report not a research paper. Conclusion is not responding the process of this article.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

The conclusion has been rewritten, and the overall content has been consistent with the research goal and responded to the results. My suggestion is Accept after correction to minor text editing.  

Author Response

thank you for your comments.