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Mobility Resilience under Epidemic Hazards: A Structured Review of Risk Perception, Coping Appraisal and Post-Hazard Recovery

  • Jiangling Wu 1,   
  • Yating Ye 1,   
  • Linjie Tian 1,*,   
  • Qiuhao Lyu 1,   
  • Amit Kumar Singh 2,   
  • Mengjie Li 1

Received: 30 Jun 2026 | Revised: 24 Sep 2026 | Accepted: 28 Sep 2026 | Published: 16 Oct 2026

Abstract

Epidemic hazards disturb mobility in a way that is both physical and behavioural. They reduce service supply, change perceived safety, and force travellers to decide whether a trip is necessary, safe, or replaceable. This review maps how risk perception, coping appraisal and structural constraints shaped mobility response and recovery during and after COVID-19. The literature search was completed on 21 June 2026. Searches in OpenAlex and PubMed, followed by a targeted update, identified 1263 records; 1145 unique records were screened and 70 studies were included. The evidence shows that perceived infection risk discouraged crowded and enclosed modes, especially public and shared transport. Yet risk perception alone did not explain behaviour. Travellers also needed feasible alternatives, trust in protective measures, money, time, information and social permission to adapt. Longitudinal and observed data were particularly useful for distinguishing temporary disruption from later recalibration, though these sources also carry their own limitations (e.g., sampling bias, algorithmic artefacts) and should not be treated as bias-free evidence.

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Volume 1, Issue 1
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Wu, J.; Ye, Y.; Tian, L.; Lyu, Q.; Singh, A. K.; Li, M. Mobility Resilience under Epidemic Hazards: A Structured Review of Risk Perception, Coping Appraisal and Post-Hazard Recovery. Journal of Hazards, Risk and Resilience 2026, 1 (1), 26. https://doi.org/10.53941/jhrr.2026.100026.
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