Hazelwood Health Study: Community Wellbeing Stream

A/Prof Michelle Duffy in collaboration with Dr Susan Yell, Lynda McCrae and A/Prof Damian Morgan (FedUni) and Dr Matthew Carroll (Monash Rural Health) https://hazelwoodhealthstudy.org.au/

Community wellbeing is a concept that describes the way a community functions, sees itself and talks about it self. It is influenced by multiple things such as: access to education, affordable housing, employment, health services and social opportunities, the look and feel of a place, and whether you know and trust people in the community.

This Stream’s research aims in Phase 1 (2015-2019) were to investigate community perceptions on:

  • the impact of the smoke event on community wellbeing;
  • effective communication during and after the smoke event; and
  • the effectiveness of community rebuilding activities.

Current research aims in Phase 2 (2020-2021) are to:

  • Continue to assess perceptions of the community’s wellbeing and recovery after the mine fire, taking into account subsequent events and initiatives;
  • Develop a community wellbeing barometer to identify factors indicative of community wellbeing relevant to this community at a particular point in time;
  • Examine the relationship between individual wellbeing and community wellbeing (in conjunction with the Psychological Impacts Stream).

Publications:

Yell, S., Duffy, M., Whyte, S., Carroll, M., Walker J. (2019). Hazelwood Health Study Community Wellbeing Stream Reports:

  • Volume 1: Community perceptions of the impact of the smoke event on community wellbeing and of the effectiveness of communication during and after the smoke event;
  • Volume 2: Community perceptions of the effectiveness of community rebuilding activities

Duffy, M., Whyte, S. (2017). The Latrobe valley: The politics of loss and hope in a region of transition. Australasian Journal of Regional Studies 23(3): 421-446

Duffy, M., Wood, P., Whyte, S., Yell, S., Carroll, M. (2016). Why isn’t there a plan? Community vulnerability and resilience in the Latrobe Valley’s open cut coal mine towns. In M. Companion & M. Chaiken (eds) Understanding Vulnerability, Building Resilience: Responses to Disasters and Climate Change CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group; pp. 199-209

Duffy, M., Yell, S. (2014). Collective grief and Australian natural disasters. In D. Lemmings & A. Brooks (eds) Emotions and Social Change: Historical and Sociological Perspectives New York: Routledge; pp. 159-184