The Power of Community: A Scientific Look at Belonging and Mental Health

Amid rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social disconnection, science is now confirming what ancient cultures, veterans, and wise grandmothers have known for generations: community is not a luxury. It is a form of survival. It regulates the mind, restores the body, and quite literally keeps us alive.

The Psychology of Belonging

A 2023 study published in Family Medicine and Community Health revealed that individuals who feel a strong sense of community have significantly lower odds of experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (Park et al., 2023). The researchers did not attribute this solely to friendship or social activity, but to something deeper: identity safety. When people feel seen and understood by a group that shares their values, backgrounds, or life experience, the nervous system relaxes. The body believes it is no longer alone.

Human beings evolved in tribes, not cubicles. The brain associates isolation with danger, triggering the same fight-or-flight chemicals as physical threats. Belonging, on the other hand, signals safety—and safety is the soil in which mental health grows.

Veterans: The Case Study in Community

When a veteran or even an active-duty service member meets another, the power of community becomes evident within the first five minutes of conversation. The encounter might take place at the DMV, at an airport bar, or while waiting outside a crowded restaurant. Once they discover each other’s military background and begin exchanging stories about basic training and duty stations, something shifts. Before long, they are sharing intimate details about their lives-things that would normally take years to disclose in a typical friendship.

This is recognition.

Veterans are one of the clearest examples of what it means to belong to a shared identity. They are trained in collective mission, mutual protection, and unspoken codes. But when they leave the military, many lose not only the job, but the tribe. What follows is often a silent erosion, not of strength, but of connection.

One military spouse once said, "My husband is quiet in every setting except when he's around other vets. Then he comes alive." She described the first time she saw him truly open up at a reunion. "I didn't recognize his voice at first. It had joy in it."

That, right there, is the power of proximity to the familiar.

It Is Not Just the Military. It Is the Mechanism.

Veterans are not the only ones wired this way. They are just one of the most visible case studies. The emotional ignition that occurs when someone is among their own—whether that is a cultural group, a faith community, or simply people who understand their rhythm of speech is universal.

A 2021 study from the UK tracked over 59,000 participants in the community-based initiative parkrun, which hosts free weekly runs and walks. The research showed significant improvement in mental health, particularly among those with existing psychological distress (Dunne et al., 2021). Participants cited the sense of community and shared purpose as their primary motivation for attending. The activity was helpful. The community was transformative.

Community is more than company. It is a mirror that says, "You belong here."

From Social Contact to Neurochemical Stability

The 2018 Harvard Review of Psychiatry article put it plainly: recovery from mental illness is not just an individual endeavor, but a social process. Community-based models not only reduce stigma; they increase participation, accountability, and resilience (Young et al., 2018). These are not soft metrics. They are foundational to human thriving.

Neuroscientific research supports this claim. Belonging increases oxytocin, reduces cortisol, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system-the part of your body that says, "You are safe now. You can rest."

For veterans, who often live in a state of hyper-vigilance post-service, this is not just a nice idea. It is neurological rehabilitation.

The Universal Assignment: Find Your Pack

While the veteran experience makes the impact of lost community strikingly visible, the solution is universal. We must each learn how to locate, nurture, or rebuild a community where we are known. That does not mean being surrounded by many. It means being recognized by a few.

It can start with a veterans' breakfast club, a neighborhood book circle, a local gardening crew, or a Friday night faith gathering. It is less about what is done, and more about who is there. Familiarity fosters vulnerability. Vulnerability fosters connection. And connection, over time, does what no medication can do alone: it tells the nervous system to stop fighting shadows and start rebuilding.

In a world chasing productivity, community may be the most rebellious form of self-care. It is a reminder that healing does not always come from inside. Sometimes, it comes from beside.

Sources

• Park, E.Y., Oliver, T.R., Peppard, P.E., & Malecki, K.C. (2023). Sense of community and mental health: A cross-sectional analysis from a household survey in Wisconsin. Family Medicine and Community Health, 11(2):e001971. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10314672/

• Dunne, A., Haake, S., Quirk, H., & Bullas, A. (2021). Motivation to Improve Mental Wellbeing via Community Physical Activity Initiatives: A Cross-Sectional Survey of UK parkrun Participants. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24):13072. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34948683/

• Young, A.S., Skela, J., & Siddarth, P. (2018). Community, Public Policy, and Recovery from Mental Illness: Emerging Research and Initiatives. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 26(2):70–81. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5843494/