Distressed Communities: The Impact of Community Resources in Explaining Regional Discrepancies in Well-Being


Marisa Young, McMaster University; Carly Richards, McMaster University; Diana Singh, McMaster University

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored disparities in mental health and well-being across Canada, revealing how emergency shutdowns disproportionately affected various communities and regions. Our study examines these disparities, focusing on the role of community resources as elements of social infrastructure in supporting residential well-being beyond traditional measures of neighborhood disadvantage. Utilizing data from the Family-Friendly Community Resources for Better Balance Health and Well-Being Study (FFCR, Young & Singh 2023) alongside individual-level data from the Canadian Work Stress and Health Study (CAN-WSH), we explore variations in mental health outcomes across Canadian regions, the contribution of community resources to these variations, and differences across select social and demographic groups. Preliminary multi-level analyses indicate regional variations in health and well-being, which are partially explained by community resources. This research highlights the significance of access to community resources in influencing mental health and well-being, contributing to a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health in Canadian residential regions.

This paper will be presented at the following session: