Advancing Community Health: Integrating Love, Solidarity, and Resilience

Public health efforts have increasingly recognized the vital role of strength-based characteristics and values—such as love, solidarity, and resilience—in driving community-level initiatives. These attributes are foundational for fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing collective efficacy, both of which are essential to promoting health and well-being at the grassroots level. Research indicates that communities that intentionally cultivate these strengths are often better positioned to develop effective, sustainable health interventions. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of how to best integrate these values across diverse community contexts.

This research topic aims to explore how strength-based characteristics and values can be effectively harnessed through participatory approaches to build healthier communities. It will examine the full spectrum of the research process—design, planning, implementation, and dissemination—with a focus on participatory methods such as behavioral health, complementary and alternative approaches, program evaluation, policy, education, human-centered design, community-based participatory research (CBPR), participatory action research (PAR), and community capacity building.

Particular emphasis will be placed on how core values like love, solidarity, and resilience can be leveraged to drive transformative change and foster sustainable development at the community level. The goal is to identify actionable strategies that enhance participatory methodologies and elevate the role of community strengths in advancing public health.

We invite contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• The role of emotional and social strengths—such as love and solidarity—in community health initiatives;

• Strategies for cultivating and sustaining resilience within community settings;

• Case studies of successful community-based participatory research projects;

• The influence of religion, spirituality, and practices of creative and critical reflection;

• Decolonizing research methods, practices, and policies to advance equitable community health outcomes.

• Innovative methodologies in participatory action research that enhance community engagement.

• Evaluations of community capacity-building initiatives rooted in strength-based values.

• Theoretical frameworks and models that integrate strength-based approaches into public health practice.

We welcome diverse contributions from researchers, practitioners, and community members alike, aiming to deepen our collective understanding of how strength-based values can serve as powerful drivers of community health. By illuminating innovative practices, grounded theories, and real-world applications, this research topic seeks to inspire inclusive, equitable, and transformative approaches to public health. Together, we can reimagine what it means to build healthier communities—from the inside out.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: public health, community health, resilience, well-being

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.