While the global pandemic has adversely affected the wellbeing of many, people who live in and around Canberra are happier on average than those living in other parts of Australia, a new study has found.
Conducted by the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute, the Living Well in The ACT Region survey found that 17.6 per cent of people reported experiencing a low level of wellbeing compared to 24.8 per cent of Australians nationally.
The survey is the fourth of its kind and measures wellbeing by a number of indicators, including personal wellbeing, access and connectivity, nature connection, health, identity and belonging, living standards, safety, and social connection.
The latest findings have allowed researchers to compare statistics collected from the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 lockdowns, something lead researcher Professor Jacki Schirmer said was particularly interesting.
Researchers found that while wellbeing significantly declined during the first Canberra lockdown in 2020, wellbeing didn’t decline as much during the 2021 lockdown. This wasn’t the case for all Canberrans, with 47.1 per cent of residents who participated in the survey saying they found it harder to cope during the second than the first. However, Professor Schirmer said that many managed to maintain their wellbeing despite the challenges of lockdown the second time around.
The report found people who live in smaller spaces like apartments and units and those who lived alone were among the groups to experience a decline in wellbeing.
“People who are carers had a particularly large drop in what was already a lower-than-average level of wellbeing amongst this group, along with those living with a mental health disability,” Professor Schirmer said.
She said the findings show the need for further investment into the groups who have been most affected throughout the pandemic. She also noted that the ACT Government has been a leader in developing a wellbeing framework, as more governments make the move to have wellbeing central in their decision-making practices. Findings in this series of surveys will contribute to the ACT Government’s ACT Wellbeing Framework reporting.
The perception of liveability of the Canberra region has dropped to 87.8 per cent, down from 94.7 per cent in the 2020 survey. The decline was most seen in younger people, renters, those living in units and apartments, and those who have been in the region for less than five years.
“The findings suggest that among these groups, the effects of COVID-19 on being able to socialise, study and work face-to-face, as well as participating in community events, has had a significant impact,” Professor Schirmer said.
People from the ACT region are invited to take part in the next round of surveys now open online at regionalwellbeing.org.au
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