Evolving policies, enduring impacts: Cross-sectional surveys of mental health, risk-related perceptions, and coping behaviors throughout China's U-turn in its stringent zero-COVID policy.

The study investigated the changes in mental health symptoms, risk-related perceptions, and coping behaviors of Chinese respondents between 2020 and 2023 and identified protective factors against the pandemic's impact, including demographic (gender, age), social (education, marital status, residence), and exposure (infection history) elements. Understanding these fluctuations and protective elements is crucial for policymakers, as it can inform the development of targeted strategies to alleviate negative psychological impacts while effectively managing future pandemics.