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Is empowerment a route to improving mental health and wellbeing in an urban regeneration (UR) context?

Author

Listed:
  • Camilla Baba

    (University of Glasgow, UK)

  • Ade Kearns

    (University of Glasgow, UK)

  • Emma McIntosh

    (University of Glasgow, UK)

  • Carol Tannahill

    (Glasgow Centre for Population Health, UK)

  • James Lewsey

    (University of Glasgow, UK)

Abstract

Urban regeneration (UR) programmes are recognised as a type of Population Health Intervention (PHI), addressing social and health inequalities. Policy recommends programmes involve communities through engagement and empowerment. Whilst the literature has started to link empowerment with health improvement, this has not been within an UR context. As part of broader research on the economic evaluation of community empowerment activities, this paper examines how health gains can be generated through promoting empowerment as well as identifying whether feelings of empowerment are associated with residents personal characteristics or perceptions of their neighbourhood. Using 2011 Community Health and Wellbeing Survey (GoWell) cross-sectional data, ordinal logistic regression and simple linear regression analysis of 15 Glasgow neighbourhoods undergoing regeneration with 4302 adult householders (≥16 years old) was completed. Analyses identified strong associations ( P ≥ 0.05) between empowerment and the mental health subscale of the SF12v2 and with several items of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) scale. Furthermore, residents’ who felt more empowered reported more positive attitudes towards their surroundings and housing providers. This concurs with recent evidence of the importance of residents’ psychological investments in their neighbourhood influencing their sense of place attachment. Such analyses present initial evidence of the value of investing resources within UR programmes to activities geared towards increasing residents’ empowerment as a means of producing those health gains often sought by more costly aspects of the programmes.

Suggested Citation

  • Camilla Baba & Ade Kearns & Emma McIntosh & Carol Tannahill & James Lewsey, 2017. "Is empowerment a route to improving mental health and wellbeing in an urban regeneration (UR) context?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(7), pages 1619-1637, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:54:y:2017:i:7:p:1619-1637
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098016632435
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ade Kearns & Elise Whitley & Lyndal Bond & Carol Tannahill, 2012. "The Residential Psychosocial Environment and Mental Wellbeing in Deprived Areas," International Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 413-438.
    2. Kim McKee, 2007. "Community Ownership in Glasgow: The Devolution of Ownership and Control, or a Centralizing Process?," European Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 7(3), pages 319-336.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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