A Study Of Resiliency In Communities

Negative Outcomes

The three negative outcome themes identified in the data pertained to deteriorating mental health status, lack of communal action to address current economic adversity, and (from the two Acadian communities) a lack of cooperation and coordination among local organizations in addressing present problems.

Mental Health Status of Residents

While physical health was considered to be generally good in the study communities, this was not the majority view regarding mental health. Tough times were perceived to be having a negative impact on the emotions and behaviours of a growing number of people. There are five sub-themes: emotional and behavioural problems linked to the economic situation; anxiety, fear, uncertainty and depression are pervasive; there are family problems in the communities; there are addiction problems in the communities; and mental health problems are going to get worse.

Emotional and behavioural problems linked to the economic situation

A majority of participants in all three sites saw reason for concern about emotional health in their communities. Usually, they attributed the problems to the stress associated with the current high levels of unemployment. Many participants provided responses based on observation or information. Others offered more speculative comments arising from general knowledge about human behaviour under stress.

The other chap was saying, 'I considered going away, but where would I go? What would I do? I have no skills other than being a dragger man. I have a house down here that's not fully paid yet. If I had to complete the payments on this one and still pay the taxes and insurance, and go somewhere else with my family, what am I going to do?' So this is the sort of desperation. It eats away... I'm not an expert, but I'm sure along with the stress of worrying about where the money is going to come from - I mean if you bring the stress into the home, violence and abuse and alcohol, drugs, whatever comes with it. I know that not so long ago I seemed to be in that circle of people [where] drugs and alcohol were the answer.

I'm sure there is a lot more insecurity everywhere. I'm noticing a lowering in their self-esteem. Sort of a hopelessness, that they don't know where they are going to look for a job next spring. Accompanying that would probably be a higher use of alcohol, partly because of depression, and partly because they have more time to spend in taverns and drinking places.

Only in Dildo did a significant minority of participants respond with a negative when asked if emotional and behavioural problems were prevalent in the community. However, a local physician, a member of a focus group of service providers in the Dildo region, offered an alternative view in which he mentioned issues and problems that participants in all three communities identified:

Certainly what we are seeing is ever-increasing amounts of stress and stress-related illness in the community...When the (cod) moratorium hit, there was a number of people who jumped off the mark right away and said, 'Oh, we have to make some intervention to prevent a lot of these problems,' and a lot of us working at the grassroots said, 'Hold on...You're not going to see anything of this for two years...It's only after TAGS starts to whittle down and the full impact has hit in the community that you are actually going to see that. And now, in fact, we're starting to see this - very high levels of stress...increasing amounts of depression...increasing amounts of substance abuse...(and) family violence...(and) general anxiety... And that seems to colour almost every patient contact I have in the community nowadays.

Anxiety, fear, uncertainty and depression are pervasive in all three communities

The focus of most of this emotional stress is the anticipated end of the TAGS program, and changes to the Employment Insurance program.

Anxiety, fear

Us, we're on TAGS right now. If we didn't have no Unemployment (Insurance) or no money, like if the government would stop the TAGS, there would be poverty. And there would be fear. We wouldn't have nothing. Nothing to pay our bills; nothing to feed our kids.

And they only go by your last eight weeks. So let's say last year you were getting over $250 (a week). With that new [Employment Insurance], you would be getting $79 a week. How can a family of four, or whatever, live on $79 a week?

The possibility of having to leave is a source of much anxiety.

I don't think it's the ones that are left behind that feel left behind. I think it's the ones that have to move away that feel a great loss of having to go.

A Dildo participant put the concern about moving into a historical context:

I do think that rural Newfoundland is in trouble...With all the cutbacks and the fishery and everything. I do think that it is going to be hard. It's almost like trying to head back 40 years ago when they did some resettling. It's almost like you wonder if this is going to happen again. Are we going to have to be uprooted and replanted in some of the larger [centres]?

Uncertainty

What is happening here too is that the government is not saying (whether) our plants are going to close or whether they are going to be open. Why don't they come out and say our plants are going to close so...

It's really hard to make plans. You can't plan on what you're going to be doing in a year. Like we just bought a house...but in four or five months, we may not be living in [it]. We might have to pick up and go.

For youth, there are feelings of uncertainty about how to plan a future. A parent of teenagers observed:

I think probably one of the toughest things about living in the community now would be, as a young person, to keep a sense of optimism, even above and beyond the realization that you're probably going to have to leave your community to find work. But even to keep up the optimism that there is any point in going on to get any further education.

Depression

First when [the cod moratorium] started out, I was really positive...I attended a forum here, and I figured I wasn't going to let this get me down. But I must say that over the last couple of years - not that the fish plant work was really wonderful...but when you got up and went to work, it was - You know, you felt good about yourself. You were getting out. You were going to work. You were getting that pay cheque. You were working for it. I don't feel the same anymore...I've got more time sitting home and thinking, and I'm worrying about the future...I said I wouldn't let it bother me, but I have to say that it does. Depression is there. You can see it in some people's faces. Just their appearance and how they've changed. They don't take care of themselves anymore. It is there.

Unfortunately, some people will turn to drinking and gambling...and some people will look at them and say, 'He's an alcoholic, or a gambler,' and all that, and not realize that the underlying problem is really depression, whether it's from lack of work or family problems and all that. So that can be a problem if people don't realize what the actual problem is.

Another note of concern emerged from the Cheticamp data about mental health and depression. Five participants indicated that there was a high usage of anti-depressants in the community. (One participant from Isle Madame made a similar observation about that community.)

It's a pill-pushing place. When I first got here, I couldn't believe...I mean, even family members; if there is a southeast wind, they take a pill for that; if there's a thunderstorm, they take a pill for that. It's very comical to some people, but it's a very serious problem in the community. Like everybody is on some type of pill. I can't remember where the anti-anxiety, anti-depression drugs were when the Primary Health Care did their survey, but I think they rated fairly high. Like there were a lot of people on tranquilizers and that kind of thing.

Family tensions, breakdown and violence are problems in the communities

Increases in family tension and breakdown were apparent to most participants.

A lot of our men are not working, and they are not used to being home idle and not working, so there is a lot more tension in the air than there ever was in our community.

They're taking their problems, their stress, their anger sometimes out on their families. Not necessarily in a physical way, but in an emotional way. Like there is a lot of blaming, and 'shut up!' type of thing. 'You're getting on my nerves,' and this type of thing.

Terrible, terrible problems with break-ups in these communities...We used to be the communities that weren't like that. That was the big city style of life, but we were the communities that had the values of marriage...family...church... respect, and all of that. We're losing all of that.

Many participants remarked that family violence was a hidden problem, but they suspected its presence in the community.

From what I hear from the people - the social worker was talking to me a little way back - and I guess there is a problem (with family violence). Mind you, not a major problem, I would say...But it could be a problem. There is a lot of stuff that we don't know, that a person like myself doesn't know.

Alcohol, drugs and gambling are problems in the communities

Initially, participants were asked whether alcohol and drug abuse were problems in their communities. Because concern about gambling was raised by a number of early participants, it was added to the question guide.

Alcohol

Of these three addictive behaviours, alcohol abuse accounted for the greatest amount of data. In all study sites, participants attested that alcohol was a problem in their community. While a few in each location were of the opinion that it was no more of a problem in their community than anywhere else, a large majority expressed concern in stronger terms.

The use and abuse of alcohol has been part of the social fabric of these communities for a long time.

It's a big part of the community...I don't know if it has anything to do with the downturn of the fishery or the economics. It's the way it's always been, it seems. It's always a problem here. It only makes sense. People work 10 weeks out of the year. They would be off 42 weeks. Well, they've got lots of time to go drink. The more time you've got on your hands...like what are you going to do with it? They're bored. People are bored.

In all the communities, the use of alcohol by youth was singled out for particular mention. Youth focus groups in two communities described similar Friday night rituals:

When you've got a crowd of high school students, and their main thing for Friday night is getting that half dozen of beer, I don't think it's healthy.

The main problem is that on Friday nights they don't have anything to do so, okay, let's get drunk tonight They're planning Saturday to get drunk the next Friday.

Drugs

A significant number of participants in each site expressed the opinion that the illicit use of drugs was a problem in their community.

For the size of the community, drugs are fairly common in the area, I would say...My personal opinion is you probably get a lot of drugs coming in from different boats...I mean, there are probably a lot more drugs coming into the area than people realize.

And then you've got the illegal substances...I find the last two months, it's a lot worse than it ever was here...I don't know if it's the younger crowd because some of them who are doing it are almost 30, but they're not married. Like they are the single crowd, I should say. Not younger; single.

While the drug problem was not seen to be restricted to youth, it was acknowledged to be present in the schools. In two communities, participants were of the opinion that it was not being seriously addressed by school administrators. A youth focus group provided these comments:

They don't want to ruin the school's reputation by suspending 45 people in one day for getting stoned.

They don't look for it.

I'm sure they realize it's happening.

They kind of have to with people walking around with two eyes like marbles. They're just totally glassed over.

Gambling

Gambling emerged as a concern in the two Nova Scotian communities, with video lottery terminals identified as the source of the problem. Apparently these machines have not invaded rural Newfoundland. However, many participants in Cheticamp, and several in Isle Madame, saw video gambling as a serious threat in their communities.

Gambling, I think that is another story. You get people going into the tavern and you get people you know are having a hard time getting by...putting all their cheques into the machines I mean, that is a major problem. For the small community that we are, we have a lot, a lot of people who are at the expense of the machines.

Like some girls - I'm not only talking about men now - I'm talking women too. Some take their whole cheque and gamble...But once you get addicted, it's hard to let go. And they have Gamblers Anonymous in Port Hawkesbury...I know some people who have already called, and they go from the island.

Mental health problems are going to get worse

There were predictions from all three communities that problems would increase as income support disappears.

I would say that a number of people have problems, family problems and emotional problems, and it's only going to get worse because of the things that are happening, unless there is a big change like island development.

Oh, there's a big potential for [increased mental health problems] because people are kind of getting -I can't use the word lazy, but they're kind of set in their ways. And now they're getting this money. Now when it's cut off, they're not going to know how to deal with these things...and I think they're going to run into a lot of problems.

Summary:

Stress related to the economic situation was having a negative impact on mental health in these communities. Among the unemployed there were feelings of anxiety, fear, uncertainty and depression. Linked to these, the incidence of family tensions and breakdown, substance abuse and gambling were seen to be rising. Participants feared that these problems would worsen as income support programs are withdrawn or cut back in the near future. The adequacy of mental health services may become an increasing concern in these communities.

Communal Inaction

Participants in all communities reported that, while a few people were working hard to bring about community development, the communities as a whole have failed to respond to the challenge for change imposed by current economic circumstances. Three sub-themes were evident: communities have failed to respond to the economic/unemployment crisis, communities have difficulty in organizing to deal with the big picture, and communities fail to support local business.

Communities have failed to respond to the economic/unemployment crisis

I can think of a situation maybe where you're helping somebody, let's say, who went through a hard time. But I can't really think of any situations of rallying together due to unemployment or anything. We knew this was coming...I find that people in this area are a lot of talk and no action when it comes to stuff like that. Like, 'We should go into the House of Commons and petition this point, and petition that point,' but nobody ever takes the initiative to do it. Like everybody knew it was coming, but nobody said anything to stop it, to help it.

Communities have difficulty in organizing to deal with the big picture

We have difficulties exerting pressure. We have problems presenting ourselves. We have problems demanding our rights. We only organize ourselves at small, little levels. It's hard to form a common front...Rather than complaining about individuals, we should be complaining about the problems, dealing with the problems...Rather than taking it out on certain people.

How do they express [their anger and frustration]? Amongst themselves. The anger is not expressed the way it should be, at government agencies. It's not expressed at meetings [of an organization formed] to look at their future. It's expressed when they go to the post office...to small canteens...when they meet in a group somewhere, amongst themselves. That expression is something that's innate...But to do that is not effective.

Communities fail to support local business

One of the ways that communities failed to respond to local attempts to cope with the economic downturn was a lack of support for new entrepreneurs. This was noted in all three communities.

And people are trying to start their own businesses, and they are finding it difficult. Because I think people have a lot of time on their hands...They are having their cheque come anyway, and they haven't any work to do. And they are taking their money all over the place rather than spending it in the community because they've got too much time.

Everybody seems to have a car. If they want to go to Sydney, they go. That is where the bigger shopping centres are...And the prices there are cheaper than what you can get around here. And people aren't prone, I suspect, for supporting their community when it comes to saving dollars.

Summary:

While successful community development projects were evidence of the work of some community members, these communities had failed to rally as a whole in response to the current economic crisis. People complained among themselves, but had difficulty in translating words into organized action. In all three communities, a lack of support for local businesses and new entrepreneurs was noted as an example of people's failure to think and act communally.

Lack of Coordination of Community Organizations

The need for a more coordinated approach to addressing current challenges was a dominant theme from the two Acadian communities, particularly among participants involved with local development. (It was not expressed as a concern in Dildo, perhaps because that community has many fewer organizations, and they were perceived to work well together). Two themes were evident: lack of broadly based coordinating organizations, and existing organizations need to collaborate and coordinate more.

Lack of broadly based coordinating organizations

Lack of broadly based coordinating organizations which could address broad and complex development issues was seen as a problem in both Acadian communities.

It's almost impossible for [the development association] to tackle those infrastructure questions because they're very big issues that should be tackled by a broad-based community group. And what [the development association] has done as far as that goes is to try and create an Isle Madame community council.

It could be any sort of organization that would get the different organizations, the banks, the businesses, the groups in the community together, that would speak for the community and for the development of the community.

Existing organizations in the community need to collaborate and coordinate more

Significantly, by far the largest amount of data on this subject came from Isle Madame, where divisions within the community emerged as a risk factor related to communal anger.

What I would hope to see is that these communities can come together in a cohesive effort to form one organization. Call it the community of Isle Madame...If you had this kind of system, you would priorize your projects...But until the island gets away from these small little groups strictly doing their own thing and not having a vision for the island, they're not going to get anywhere.

The speaker in the above quote mentioned Cheticamp as a model:

You can see a prime example in Cheticamp, where there's no better organized community. They get together and do things.

Ironically, that was not how participants from Cheticamp saw it.

All those committees. Why can't just one from all the committees be a committee? Just one, and do something. Work together. There's too many. I mean, we should have a meeting...not a war, but to discuss our problems and try to work it out together... A group of leaders from different organizations, from different businesses, from different service clubs...with CDC (Cheticamp Development Commission). We should all get together with all the unemployed people and work as a unit - how we are going to face the reform in the unemployment insurance, and how could we, together, improve the economy of Cheticamp.

It is interesting to note here the Cheticamp 2000 project which is currently ongoing and which addresses precisely this concern. Its aim is the 'concertation' (i.e., harmonization, coordination) of local organizations to better work toward meeting the needs of the community. As the Community Coordinator observed, this is a process which faces many challenges. One of these is a lack of inter-agency collaboration which is fostered by the competition for project funds. He described one meeting:

I felt...that not enough time was devoted to establishing priorities insofar as economic development was concerned. I sensed a lack of trust among the participants when it came to discuss openly specific plans each organization had for economic development purposes. Organizations feel they have to compete with each other for available funds, and applications for special projects are kept to themselves until they're approved.

A recent update on the status of this initiative indicates that some new inter-agency links have been created. However, conflicts and lack of trust among participating organizations remain barriers to progress in the absence of third-party facilitation to help participants resolve differences and move ahead.

Summary:

Especially in the two Acadian sites, there was a perceived need for a more coordinated effort to better address the serious problems facing these communities. The formation of a broadly based coordinating organization was suggested as a way to facilitate this, and to help the very large number of existing local organizations to collaborate in their work on behalf of the community. The attempt by one community to create a long-term process to do this illustrates that support may be needed to build skills in conflict resolution and strategic planning. Note: It is significant that the findings from the parallel study in the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta were similar in many respects. Employment concerns and the need for a more diverse economic base were dominant risk factors. Voluntarism and a shared sense of history and values were protective factors which contributed to communal problem solving and coping as a positive outcome. The needs identified for increased mental health services and for more community members to be included in creating change in the Pass were echoed in the Atlantic Canada study.