Visser, MarethaDelport, RhenaNeethling, ArianeMadela-Mntla, EdithEveratt, DavidPalanee-Phillips, TheslaBarnard, TobiasHugo, Jannie F.M.2026-02-272026-02-272026-01Visser, M., Delport, R., Neethling, A. et al. 2026, 'Context matters: urban typology and pandemic-related mental health decline in low-income South African settings', Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 54, no. 1, art. e70084, PP. 1-14, doi : 10.1002/jcop.70084.0090-4392 (print)1520-6629 (online)10.1002/jcop.70084http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108682AIM : We explored the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-reported mental health and perceived social and economic challenges in very-low- to low- to middle-income households in four urban typologies in South Africa: formal township dwellings, backyard dwellings, inner-city high-density apartments, and informal settlement dwellings. The purpose was to inform urban policy and crisis-response planning. METHODS : Structured interviews were conducted with 1330 adults from a stratified random sample from each urban typology during the third SARS-CoV-2 wave. RESULTS : Respondents reported increases in anxiety (28.5%), depression (23.9%), and decreased social connectedness (20.0%). Conversely, some respondents reported improved mental health, with decreases in anxiety (16.3%), depression (18.4%), and increased social connectedness (17.5%). Anxiety and depression were more prevalent in formal township dwellings and high-density apartments than in informal settlements. Financial concerns, worries about isolation, crime, and community violence, and fear of COVID-19 infection and stigma were mostly associated with decreased mental health. CONCLUSIONS : Our findings suggest that residents from different urban typologies were affected differently by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research demonstrates the impact of environmental disasters on mental health in urban communities, which is mediated by social and economic problems.en© 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Community Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License.Community violenceUrban typologyEconomic determinantsPsychosocial determinantsMental healthCOVID-19 mitigation regulationsArticle