UH researchers, state officials seek community input for Hawaiʻi well-being survey

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are partnering with the state to conduct a survey to learn what issues Hawai‘i residents face in their neighborhoods.

The anonymous survey takes roughly 15 minutes to complete and will inform critical areas, such as disaster preparedness, safety in our communities, workplace wellness and access to healthcare. All residents aged 18 and above are asked to complete the questionnaire.

Responses to the survey will lead to the development of recommendations addressing everything from food and housing security to education and service needs. The deadline for completion of the survey is March 31.

Complete the community survey here.

“The survey gives us the opportunity to hear directly from the people of Hawaiʻi regarding what it is like to grow, work, live and age in our communities,” said Jack Barile, principal investigator, professor of psychology and director of the Social Science Research Institute in the College of Social Sciences at UH Mānoa. “The goal is to identify residents’ strengths and challenges at home and in their communities, and to utilize this information to drive the development of programs and policies that meet people’s needs throughout the state.”

Gov. Josh Green and his administration hope data will lead to change.

The project is funded by and conducted in partnership with the Office of Wellness and Resilience, housed in the Office of the Governor.

The surveys on health and quality of life are the first step toward helping Hawaiʻi become a trauma-informed state. Green signed Executive Order 4696 on Feb. 20, directing all state departments to collaborate with the Office of Wellness and Resilience to integrate trauma-informed care principles, such as safety, transparency and peer support, into our workplaces and services.

Becoming a trauma-informed state will help mitigate the impacts of adverse childhood experiences and trauma, and build resilience in our families, communities and state workforce.

Barile’s research team will create publicly available dashboards and reports to better inform legislative activity, funding needs, population-specific programming, coordination of cross-department efforts and individual and system-level outcomes.

The study has been approved by the UH Institutional Review Board and is part of a larger partnership between the Health Policy Initiative, housed in the UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences, and the Governor’s Office of Wellness and Resilience.