Wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a protective factor influencing both mental health and suicide prevention, particularly in rural areas where communities face compounding challenges of geographic isolation and limited service access. The Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project, led by the Break O’Day Council on Tasmania’s east coast, embraces a Positive Psychology framework to build local capacity, foster social connection, and promote wellbeing through a community development approach. Over the past four years, the project has implemented diverse strategies including community conversations, local forums, and a Wellbeing Certificate training program. Participants are supported to co-design and lead impact projects that enhance collective wellbeing.
The University of Tasmania conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the project. Data sources included stakeholder and Certificate training participant interviews, focus groups, training feedback, community forums, and observational insights.
Key learnings and findings:
1. Wellbeing education builds local capacity for action – The Wellbeing Certificate has equipped community members with the skills and confidence to lead local initiatives, increasing agency and collective capability.
2. Community-led projects create ripple effects – Impact projects have strengthened networks and enhanced wellbeing beyond individual participants, contributing to a broader culture of care and collaboration across the Break O’Day community.
3. Connection is a critical enabler of resilience – Community conversations and forums have created vital spaces for sharing, trust-building, and collective meaning-making, highlighting the importance of sustained opportunities for connection.
Investing in co-designed, community-led wellbeing initiatives can drive systemic change by embedding prevention at the local level. Policies that prioritise wellbeing as a public health strategy – especially in rural areas – should centre local knowledge, relationships, and lived experience as essential determinants of health. Continued funding for community-driven efforts and embedded evaluation ensures programs remain adaptive, locally relevant, and impactful in addressing rural health inequities and increasing resilience in communities.