New research from The University of Manchester has found that areas with higher community resilience experience better health - including lower rates of drugs, alcohol and suicide deaths - even when those areas face significant deprivation.
The study tested a new "Community Resilience Index" which measures how well local areas can withstand long-term pressures such as economic hardship, poor housing and inequality. Unlike traditional deprivation scores, it focuses on the strengths of a community - things like local infrastructure, social connection, opportunities and stability.
The team analysed data from 307 local authorities across England. They looked at five health measures - deaths of despair (including alcohol-specific deaths, drug-related deaths and suicide), cardiovascular disease, COVID-19 mortality, excess deaths during the pandemic and people's self-rated general health.
Their findings, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, showed that areas with higher resilience scores had lower rates of deaths of despair, lower cardiovascular disease mortality and more residents reporting good health. These patterns remain even after accounting for deprivation, meaning that resilience offers extra insight into why some communities stay healthier than others.
One of the most striking discoveries was how resilience interacts with deprivation. In the poorest areas, resilience appeared to make the biggest difference. For deaths of despair in particular, communities with higher resilience had lower rates compared to equally deprived areas that lacked the same local strengths.
Interestingly, the index did not predict COVID-19 mortality or pandemic-related excess deaths - the researchers say this may reflect that some aspects of resilience - such as good transport links, mobility and strong social connectedness - can increase exposure risk during fast-moving infectious disease outbreaks.
The team believes their findings could help shape future public health policy. While deprivation measures like the Index of Multiple Deprivation will remain key tools, resilience-based measures may help councils and national bodies identify communities that need support - not just because of what they lack, but because of the assets they can build upon.
The researchers hope the index will be used alongside deprivation indices to guide investment in social infrastructure, voluntary sector capacity, community spaces and local connectivity.
