Community empowerment and mental wellbeing: longitudinal findings from a survey of people actively involved in the Big Local place-based initiative in England

Community empowerment initiatives are receiving increased interest as ways of improving health and reducing health inequalities. This research examines longitudinal associations between collective control, social-cohesion and mental wellbeing amongst participants in the Big Local community empowerment initiative across 150 disadvantaged areas of England. It finds that collective control and social cohesion are associated with better mental wellbeing, with benefits greater amongst men and participants from higher educational backgrounds.