New research signals importance of community in mental health, as one in three say lack support or tools to deal with ‘ups and downs of life’

The study from the Co-op in partnership with Mind, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Inspire revealed the impact the pandemic has had on the nation’s mental wellbeing, with almost a quarter of respondents saying they became more isolated from their community during the pandemic, resulting in a decline in mental wellbeing for almost two-thirds.

The in-depth research, a combination of qualitative conversation carried out by Leeds Beckett University and Traverse and a survey of 4,500 people, highlights the vital role of community in promoting good mental wellbeing. The Co-op, alongside Mind, SAMH and Inspire are calling on governments across the UK to recognise the importance of community resilience in post-pandemic recovery policy making, and beyond. 

Kris Southby, Research Fellow at the School of Health, who led the Leeds Beckett research said: "We know that people living in disadvantaged communities are at risk of experiencing multiple and complex challenges to their mental health and wellbeing. 

“This study allowed us to look at why people in some disadvantaged communities appear more resilient to these challenges and have better mental health and wellbeing than expected. Partnering with Traverse allowed us to utilise our respective skills and knowledge to explore this issue. 

“Myself, Prof. Anne-Marie Bagnall, and Prof. Jane South were involved in designing the data collection methods, identifying research sites, analysing the data, and report writing alongside colleagues from Traverse who also led on data collection.”

The conversation-based research was conducted in four areas of the UK – Bilston (England), Haverfordwest (Wales), Yoker (Scotland) and Portadown (Northern Ireland), that have higher than expected wellbeing when compared to typical risk factors, to understand what drives mentally resilient communities. 

The research found four key themes that support better mental health in common across all the communities including: a strong network of community hubs and voluntary sector organisations; open environments to talk about mental health and wellbeing; opportunities to actively participate and make connections in communities; and a sense of community identity and belonging.