Focusing Resource Allocation-Wellbeing as a Tool for Prioritizing Interventions for Communities at Risk

Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether a wellbeing approach to resilience and adaptation would provide practical insights for prioritizing support to communities experiencing environmental and socio-economic stressors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey, based on a purposive sample of 2,196 stakeholders (landholders, hobby farmers, town resident and change agents) from three irrigation-dependent communities in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin. Respondents’ adaptive capacity and wellbeing (individual and collective adaptive capacity, subjective wellbeing, social support, community connectivity, community leadership, in the context of known life stressors) were examined using chi-square, comparison of mean scores, hierarchical regression and factor-cluster analysis. Results: Statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) were observed between individual (0.331) and collective (0.318) adaptive capacity and wellbeing. Taking into account respondents’ self-assessed health and socio-economic circumstances, perceptions of individual (15%) and collective adaptive capacity (10%) as well as community connectivity (13%) were associated with wellbeing (R2 = 0.36; F (9, 2099) = 132.9; p < 0.001). Cluster analysis found that 11% of respondents were particularly vulnerable, reporting below average scores on all indicators, with 56% of these reporting below threshold scores on subjective wellbeing. Conclusions: Addressing the capacity of individuals to work with others and to adapt to change, serve as important strategies in maintaining wellbeing in communities under stress. The human impacts of exogenous stressors appear to manifest themselves in poorer health outcomes; addressing primary stressors may in turn aid wellbeing. Longitudinal studies are indicated to verify these findings. Wellbeing may serve as a useful and parsimonious proxy measure for resilience and adaptive capacity.

Collective Well-Being to Improve Population Health Outcomes: An Actionable Conceptual Model and Review of the Literature

“…147 A similar study performed in Canada supports these findings, in which the authors report higher levels of social capital buffered the negative effect of financial strain on physical and mental health. 148 Greater levels of sense of community, social cohesion, 133,[149][150][151][152] and community engagement 153,154 have also all been correlated with higher well-being, better social support, and quality of life. 155,156 Among older adults, higher levels of social cohesion, 157 engagement, and emotional support predicted better functional status, 158 life satisfaction, and positive affect.…”

Eastern Australian Farmers Managing and Thinking Differently: Innovative Adaptation Cycles

“…The acknowledgement of insufficient attention given to developing the resilience of human capital in the farmer sector was a concerning finding. Several farmer studies validate problems of stress and distress arising from climate change (Fleming et al 2015;Hogan et al 2013;Wheeler et al 2018). The findings that farmers were less inclined to prioritise the importance of building psychological capabilities compared with farm productivity represents a systemic vulnerability.…”

Enhancing Emotional Resilience in the Face of Climate Change Adversity: A Systematic Literature Review

“…A human can also experience severe mental illness and suicidal idealization [6,7,[13][14][15]. Most people have a baseline emotional resilience and can sustain a level of wellbeing over time, despite encountering stressors [4,16]. At some point, however, a stressor, or an accumulation of stressors may exceed our baseline emotional resilience abilities.…”

“…At some point, however, a stressor, or an accumulation of stressors may exceed our baseline emotional resilience abilities. Then, we may experience adverse outcomes for our wellbeing [4,16,17]. Humans also experience what is known as "adaptive emotional resilience", a quality which relates to our ability to adapt to a situation [16,17].…”

“…Then, we may experience adverse outcomes for our wellbeing [4,16,17]. Humans also experience what is known as "adaptive emotional resilience", a quality which relates to our ability to adapt to a situation [16,17]. Humans differ in their responses to similar experiences [12,16,17].…”