Well-being and community resilience: The relation between individual, collective, and structural features in an intractable conflict context

Peacebuilding in Colombia’s complex context demands a multidimensional approach, addressing both structural and individual factors. Intractable conflicts and social disparities profoundly impact psychosocial well-being and perpetuate violence cycles. Our study, grounded in the multidimensional model of peace, explores the interplay between distributive injustice, individual, and collective dynamics (such as remembered well-being, community resilience, and emotional climate) within the Colombian conflict. Using a mixed strategy of a survey (N = 1,141; 64.1% women; Mage = 26.91, SD = 11.07) conducted in 22 of the country’s 32 administrative regions and the collection of official data on socioeconomic variables (Multidimensional Poverty Index, effective state presence, percentages of rural areas, Afro-descendant and indigenous presence, and digital connectivity), the study aims to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and psychosocial health in an intractable conflict. Unfortunately, the results of this study suggest that, apart from the violent context, structural and economic inequalities, state neglect, and social exclusion negatively affect people’s hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and community resilience while increasing negative perceptions of the emotional climate. Using a multidimensional model of peace, we intended to remark on the relevance of socioeconomic conditions when assessing psychosocial factors as part of sustainable peace. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)