Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: How Do We Measure Community?

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re exploring the role of community in wellbeing, not just in theory, but in practice. At Real Purpose, we work with people who’ve experienced exclusion and isolation. We know community matter - but how do we know when it’s working? 

What does community actually mean?

Community isn’t just about living in the same area. It’s about people feeling connected, having a say, and being part of something bigger than themselves. It’s where belonging lives. That’s why measuring community means looking beyond numbers, and asking how people feel. 

What should we be measuring? 

Governments and researchers have long tried to measure social inclusion. One useful approach comes from the now-defunct Social Exclusion Unit (set up under the Blair government), which helped reframe how we think about who gets left out and why. 

Today, researchers talk about five key areas that affect someone’s sense of inclusion: 

• Material — do people have access to stable housing, income, and essentials? 

• Relational — do they have supportive relationships and feel connected? 

• Political — can they influence decisions that affect their lives? 

• Digital — can they access online services and communities? 

• Structural — are there systemic barriers (like racism or disability discrimination) in the way? 

  
  

But there are also other ways to measure community integration more practically and locally: 

• Community Integration Measure (CIM): A 10-question survey used in mental health and rehabilitation settings. It asks how connected someone feels to their community, whether they feel like they belong, and how supported they are. 

  
  

• Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ): Looks at social roles and day-to-day participation, including work, friendships, and leisure activities. 

  
  

• Self-report and storytelling: Sometimes the most powerful insights come from hearing people’s own accounts of change, like someone saying, “I finally feel like I belong.” 

  
  

• Observation and engagement: Tracking whether someone starts joining in, making friends, or attending regularly gives just as much information as formal measures. 

  
  

• Asset-based approaches: Asking what people bring to the community, not just what they lack, gives a more balanced picture of inclusion. 

  
  

What does this look like in practice? 

When we run projects like B.E.E.V, we’re not just delivering sessions. We’re noticing: 

• Who comes back and who doesn’t. 

• Whether people start forming their own networks. 

• If someone who was isolated last month is suddenly volunteering, going to a new class, or even just texting someone new. 

  
  

That’s what community progress can look like. Slow, human, and built on trust. 

Why this matters for mental health 

A person can receive therapy, medication and support — but if they’re still disconnected from others, recovery can stall. 

Mental health isn’t just about the individual. It’s about relationships, culture, and systems. It’s about who gets included and who doesn’t. 

This Mental Health Awareness Week, let’s ask not just how people are doing, but how they’re connecting. 

At Real Purpose, we’ve seen this firsthand through our past work on the Leicestershire Employment & Skills Programme, and now with our current B.E.E.V Project, which supports people into enterprise, employment, and volunteering in the Bell Foundry community in Loughborough East. 

We’re committed to building a Leicestershire where everyone has the chance to take part, belong, and thrive. 

Learn more about our work: www.realpurpose.uk 

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Real Purpose | Creating purpose through opportunity.