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University of Queensland research has found building a sense of community is key to improving people’s mental health, particularly in low socio-economic suburbs.
Professor Alex Haslam from UQ’s School of Psychology is part of a research team that modelled the effect of social and psychological factors, and identified a strong but complex link between where people live and their mental health.
“We found people who live in disadvantaged or resource scarce postcodes have worse mental health than those in advantaged or resource abundant neighbourhoods,” Professor Haslam said.
“But it’s not only advantage or disadvantage that matters.
“We found people tend to have greater resilience when they feel part of a community, which can prevent symptoms of depression and reduce stress and anxiety.
“There are many features of a neighbourhood that can affect health and wellbeing, and it’s important to understand those when promoting health in the community.”
www.uq.edu.au
Professor Alex Haslam from UQ’s School of Psychology is part of a research team that modelled the effect of social and psychological factors, and identified a strong but complex link between where people live and their mental health.
“We found people who live in disadvantaged or resource scarce postcodes have worse mental health than those in advantaged or resource abundant neighbourhoods,” Professor Haslam said.
“But it’s not only advantage or disadvantage that matters.
“We found people tend to have greater resilience when they feel part of a community, which can prevent symptoms of depression and reduce stress and anxiety.
“There are many features of a neighbourhood that can affect health and wellbeing, and it’s important to understand those when promoting health in the community.”
Neighbourhood connection improves mental health
University of Queensland research has found building a sense of community is key to improving people’s mental health, particularly in low socio-economic suburbs.
