Tracing the Mechanisms: Understanding How Heritage Supports Wellbeing

Tracing the Mechanisms is Breaking Ground Heritages' flagship study examining how and why heritage engagement supports wellbeing and recovery among veterans. Building on years of practical experience, the project moves beyond simply demonstrating that heritage helps—it investigates the mechanisms that bring about positive change.

For many veterans, the transition from service can involve the loss of identity, routine, and purpose. Heritage projects—through excavation, storytelling, the arts, and collective discovery—offer structured activity, teamwork, and meaningful connection to history. Participants often describe feeling part of something bigger again, regaining confidence, and rediscovering transferable skills. Yet until now, the evidence for how these transformations occur has remained largely anecdotal.

Tracing the Mechanisms addresses this gap by combining validated wellbeing measures with in-depth interviews and field observation. The study aims to clarify which elements of heritage participation—such as physical activity, shared purpose, or reflection on historical context—most contribute to improved mental health and social connection.

Early findings suggest that heritage engagement can:

• Support identity reconstruction after leaving the Armed Forces.

• Build peer support networks that combat loneliness and isolation.

• Enhance psychological wellbeing through structure, purpose, and achievement.

• Foster meaning-making and personal growth through connection to shared history.

For the veteran community, this research provides the evidence base needed to advocate for heritage-based wellbeing programmes as credible, effective, and sustainable forms of recovery support. It also informs future practice, ensuring that activities are designed to meet veterans’ psychological, social, and vocational needs in a way that complements traditional services.

By tracing the mechanisms of change, we can better understand what works, who benefits most, and how heritage can continue to serve those who have served.

Published Articles and Research