Impact of public transportation use on the mental health of adults: a predictive model of distress, generalized anxiety, and anger

Sarmiento-Suarez E.; Rivera-Álvarez G.; Bernabel-Tarazona D.; Valencia-Pecho D.; Caycho-Rodríguez T.; Baños-Chaparro J. · Frontiers in Sociology (2026) · DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2026.1766636

Resumen

Introduction: Public transport is a daily activity for a large proportion of the urban population and may involve stressful experiences such as overcrowding, delays, or insecurity. These conditions may affect mental health; however, there is still limited evidence exploring its role as a predictor of specific psychological indicators in adults. Objective: To analyse the perception of public transport experience as a predictor of distress, generalized anxiety, and anger in adults. Materials and methods: A predictive associative strategy and quantitative approach were employed. A total of 507 Peruvian adults (66.7% women) residing in Metropolitan Lima participated and completed a sociodemographic survey and psychological instruments. Statistical analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with latent and observed variables. Results: The hypothetical model showed acceptable fit: CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.05 [90% CI: 0.049, 0.601], and SRMR = 0.04. Specifically, perception of public transport experience was a positive and statistically significant predictor of distress (β = 0.30, p = 0.001), generalized anxiety (β = 0.27, p = 0.001), and anger (β = 0.47, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings indicate that daily mobility, far from being a neutral activity, represents a meaningful component of emotional wellbeing. Recognizing its impact supports the development of more comprehensive public policies and interventions aimed at improving the emotional quality of life of public transport users. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Científica del Sur; Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener