WELLBEING STUDIES WELLBEING STUDIES

SRI LANKASRI LANKA

(PART OF TGH PROGRAM)(PART OF TGH PROGRAM)

Suman Fernando European Centre for Migration & Social Care (MASC)University of Kent, Canterbury, UKLondon Metropolitan University. London, UK

UNDERSTANDING & ASSESSING WELLBEING

Happiness approach (HA)relies in individual feelingssubjective wellbeing (SWB)used mainly in high income countries

Capability approach (CA)relies on functioning and agencyreflects lived experienceused in development studies in third world

Ref:Sen, A. (2008) ‘Economics of Happiness and Capability’ in L Bruni, F. Comim, & M

Pugno (eds.) Capabilities and Happiness, Oxford: Oxford University Press pp 16-27.

Kesebir, P. & Diener, E. (2008) ‘In Defence of Happiness: Why Policymakers Should Care about Subjective Well-Being’ in L Bruni, F. Comim, & M Pugno (eds.) Capabilities and Happiness, Oxford: Oxford University Press pp 60-80.

TRAUMA & GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM

(April 2007 onwards) located in

GUATEMALA, NEPAL, PERU & SRI LANKA

Four year Program forInformation Gathering (IG)Capacity Building (CB) Knowledge Transfer (KT)

Funded by: Global Health Research Initiative (Canada)

Supported bySocial & Transcultural Psychiatry Division of McGill University & Douglas Mental Health University Institute.

TGH GLOBAL PROGRAM IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka Program leadChamindra Weerackody (Sociologist)

Based atPeople’s Rural Development Association (PRDA), Colombo

• <http://www.mcgill.ca/trauma-globalhealth>• <http://www.prdasrilanka.org>

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (CD) APPROACH

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) – adaptedFocus groupsKey informant interviewFamily interviews

AIMConsulting communitiesPerceptions of wealth ranking & wellbeingBefore and after displacement / tsunami

TGH PROGRAM IN SRI LANKA INFORMATION GATHERING: 2008

CONCEPT OF WELLBEING (= MENTAL HEALTH)

Understanding of ‘wellbeing’ (in development studies) reflects range of human experience - social, mental, spiritual, material (Chambers 1997).

Wellbeing = ‘Yaha Jeevanya’ in Sinhala and ‘Nannilai’ in Tamil

Ref:Chambers, R. (1997) Whose Reality Counts? Putting the first last.

London: ITDG Publishing

Table 1: Wellbeing – its criteria and their levels before and Table 1: Wellbeing – its criteria and their levels before and after the tsunami in village in Hambantota District after the tsunami in village in Hambantota District

Level of wellbeing before the tsunami

(scoring) Wellbeing criteria/conditions

Level of wellbeing after the tsunami

(scoring)

Men Women Men Women

7 - Unity within family (men) 3

8 8 Secure living (men); Living without fear of natural disasters (women)

2 0

6 9 A stable source of income 4 4

8 7 A good mental condition/free mind (men); having a higher state of physical and mental condition (women)

2 3

7 7 Mutual trust among village families (men); Living in unity and harmony with neighbours (women)

2 5

8 8 Providing a good education for children 6 8

8 8 Living without alcohol consumption (men); A society and environment free of alcohol and drugs (women)

4 6

10 8 A secure house (men); Own permanent house (women)

0 2

- 7 Having good thoughts (women) - 5

- 5 Turn towards a religious life (women) - 9

- 10 Living without stretching out hands to others (women)

- 0

Table 2: Wellbeing – its criteria and their levels before and after Table 2: Wellbeing – its criteria and their levels before and after the conflict in a Batticaloa villagethe conflict in a Batticaloa village

Level of wellbeing before the conflict (scoring) Wellbeing criteria/conditions

Level of wellbeing after the conflict (scoring)

Men Women Men Women

8 8Ability for children and adults to move freely and without fear and interruption. (Living without interruption of life by warring / armed parties)

2 2

8 6Adequate resources i.e. equipment, books, home facilities as well as teachers for children to pursue education

4 7

6 4A secure environment free of fear, anxiety and questioning / interruptions (by armed forces) for children and teachers to pursue their educational activities

1 4

- 7Independent employment for husbands; and freedom to move around and collect non-timber products from forests

- 2

5 - Sufficient capital for investment in income generating activities 3 -

7 - Uninterrupted work availability 2 -

4 - Having savings 8 -

3 8Secure and stable houses to live without fear (women). A good house (men)

5 2

- 5 A conflict free environment - 1

- 8 Access to clean water - 1

Not scored Access to toilets Not scored

3 Access to health services 8

6 - Healthy life 4 -

8 - Living without consuming alcohol 3 -

Table 3: Perceived wellbeing of refugees living in camps – Table 3: Perceived wellbeing of refugees living in camps – its criteria and their levels before and after its criteria and their levels before and after displacementdisplacement (Puttalam District)

Level of wellbeing before

displacement (scoring)

Wellbeing criteria/conditions

Level of wellbeing after

displacement (scoring)

Men Women Men Women

9 9 Having good health 3 1

8 9 Having adequate money/cash (women)/having a good income (men)

2 3

- 7 Living without being a burden to others - 3

- 8 Having unity within the community - 8

- 7 Having security in the community - 3

- 8 Mental happiness within family - 2

9 8 Having a good educational standard 6 6

9 - Having a free environment 4 -

9 - Living with a light mind 3 -

9 - Having an independent life 7 -

9 - Having nutritious meals 3 -

SOME CONCLUSIONS-1 Communities perceive a severe

reduction in their wellbeing after displacement / tsunami in terms of:

a. economic poverty, b. lowered sense of securityc. loss of privacy, d. intra-family conflicts e. alcoholism/drug abuse f. children vulnerable to deprivation and

neglect.

SOME CONCLUSIONS-2 Perceptions of wellbeing are

‘holistic’– social, psychological and material

domains seen as unified ‘whole’. – psychological wellbeing not

considered in isolation from material and social wellbeing

– psychological feelings and ‘psychological trauma’ experienced as inseparable from material and social issues.

SOME CONCLUSIONS-3

Needs (as perceived by communities) can be a basis for developing services

Venn diagrams gave a good idea of which agencies were helpful

Next question is why and how?

Agencies can learn how to improve their services