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

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.