The how and the when of the social cure: A conceptual model of group‐ and individual‐level mechanisms linking social identity to health and well‐being

Does identity as a drinker predict problem recognition motivation in harmful drinkers?

Harmful drinking is associated with significant negative health and social outcomes, but drinkers are reticent to recognise personal drinking problems, hindering natural recovery or help-seeking. Recent evidence suggests that social identity as a drinker is associated with various drinking-related factors but has not been examined in relation to likelihood of problem recognition. In a group of ninety-six harmful drinkers (61 females, M age = 34 years) we explored how identity components associated with ingroup self-investment and ingroup self-definition in combination with implicit identity as a drinker accounted for degrees of problem recognition. In addition to demographic information, addiction experience and drinking behaviour (AUDIT), respondents completed measures of ingroup self-investment (identity centrality, solidarity, and satisfaction), ingroup self-definition (ingroup homogeneity and self-stereotyping), a "self as drinker" identity implicit association test and problem recognition (four items from the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale). After controlling for possible covariates (age, gender and alcohol addiction experience) increased problem recognition was accounted for by explicit and not implicit identity components. More specifically, increasing perceived chronic saliency of one's drinker identity (self-investment in the drinker ingroup) and not an implicit association between the self and being a drinker was related to increased likelihood of problem recognition. This suggests that how chronically and explicitly accessible the identity of the drinker is for individuals might operate to stimulate the willingness or motivation to recognise potential drinking related harm.

Social Identity and Online Support Groups: A Qualitative Study with Family Caregivers

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to explore whether a sense of collective or shared group identity was developed in one established online social support group for family caregivers and, if so, what did group identification mean for the group members and how was this cultivated in the group.

METHODS

Eighteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with members of a family caregiver online support group in Ireland. Inductive and deductive reflexive thematic analysis drawing on the social identity approach (SIA) generated four main themes and several related subthemes.

RESULTS

The first main theme generated was The group are a Tribe and the Tribe gets it, with subthemes: Invisibility as a common experience, my Tribe understands I am more than just a carer and Just being part of the Tribe can be enough. The second main theme generated was the Tribe is a lifeline and life-changing, with related subthemes: Our connection relieves experiences of loneliness and social isolation and Sharing knowledge, experience and support made me feel visible. The third and fourth main themes generated were The leadership of group moderators helped create the Tribe identity and Lessons that can be learnt. These findings are discussed in relation to the social identity approach, social isolation and loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that group identity can be cultivated through considered, active and balanced moderation, creating a safe, welcoming and supportive space where family caregivers are able to have fun and seek information, advice and emotional support, which helps relieve loneliness and social isolation.

Child sexual abuse and social identity loss: A qualitative analysis of survivors' public accounts

Emerging evidence suggests that social identities are an important determinant of adaptation following traumatic life experiences. In this paper, we analyse accounts of people who experienced child sexual abuse. Using publicly available talk of people who waived their right to anonymity following successful conviction of perpetrators, we conducted a thematic analysis focusing on trauma-related changes in their social identities. Analysis of these accounts highlighted two themes. The first highlights the acquisition in these accounts of unwanted and damaging identity labels. The second presents child sexual abuse as a key destructive force in terms of important identity work during childhood. Discussion of this analysis centres on the pathological consequences of social identity change. Both the loss of valued identities and the acquisition of aberrant and isolating identities are experienced and constructed as devastating by those affected by child sexual abuse. This has important implications, not only for those impacted by child sexual abuse but for how abuse is discussed in society, and how it is approached by policy makers, educators and individuals working with survivors and their families.

Components of identity expression in problem and non-problem gamblers

Few studies have examined whether specific aspects of group identification predict problematic and non-problematic addictive behaviours and none have focused on gambling. Applying Leach et al.'s (2008) hierarchical model of in-group identification, we tested the associations between components of self-investment (satisfaction, solidarity, and centrality) and components of self-definition (individual self-stereotyping, in-group homogeneity) on distinguishing between problem and non-problem gambling (n = 10,157) and on the severity of problematic gambling behaviour (n = 2,568). Results showed that (i) in-group-based identities are important in predicting problematic vs. non-problematic gambling behaviours; (ii) in-group-based identities are important in predicting the severity of problematic gambling; (iii) how self-invested an individual is with their in-group and aspects associated with self-definition processes are both important predictors; (iv) perceptions related to how chronically salient one's group membership is for the self (centrality) are essential features of the self-investment mechanism; and (v) self-stereotypical beliefs about one's essential similarities to the prototypical gambling group member norm are fundamental for the defining oneself as a gambler.

Understanding and Improving Athlete Mental Health: A Social Identity Approach

Understanding and positively influencing athlete mental health have become key goals for researchers and sporting stakeholders (e.g. coaches, support staff, clubs and governing bodies). In this article, we outline a novel perspective for tackling these challenges, drawing on an influential theory of group processes. This social identity approach can, we argue, help explain when and why the characteristics and demands of sport, which is typically a collective endeavour, pose a threat to athlete mental health and provide a guiding framework for efforts to protect and enhance athlete mental health. Here, we seek to illustrate the value of a social identity analysis of athlete mental health through three key points that speak to its analytical and practical value. Specifically, we propose: (1) that social identities can act as psychological resources that support athlete mental health, (2) that social identities are critical to athlete mental health during and after sporting transitions and (3) that leadership informed by a social identity approach can facilitate athlete mental health. With a view to maximising the value of our analysis both for those working with athletes and for researchers, we also identify practical steps that relevant stakeholders could take to support athlete mental health, and key avenues for future research to further test our propositions and advance understanding. Our analysis provides a new lens through which all those invested in understanding and supporting athlete mental health can approach these challenges, and a foundation for novel solutions.

The identification environment matters: Students' social identification, perceived physical school environment, and anxiety - A cross-level interaction model

The social identity approach to health argues that well-being depends on the psychosocial circumstances of the groups to which individuals belong. However, little is known about how the average level of identification in the group - 'the identification environment' - buffers the negative health consequences of stressors. We used multilevel modelling to investigate whether identification environment in a school modified the association between the students' perceptions of the quality of their school's physical environment and their reported levels of anxiety. In two representative samples of Finnish school students (N = 678 schools/71,392 students; N = 704 schools/85,989 students), weak identification environment was related to increased anxiety. In addition, in schools where identification environment was weaker, the student level relationship between perceived physical environment and anxiety was stronger, and students were more anxious. Our results provide evidence that identification environment needs to be considered when we analyse how group membership affects well-being.

Reduced loneliness mediates the effects of multiple group identifications on well-being

Membership of multiple groups and identification with those groups have been found to be positively related to individuals' health and well-being. The present research sought to replicate this finding in two large, representative samples. Moreover, we sought to extend previous work by shedding light on the mechanisms mediating the effects of multiple group membership on positive health outcomes. Specifically, we proposed that the links between multiple group membership and positive health outcomes are mediated by reduced feelings of loneliness. In Study 1, a two-wave survey of a German population, participants (N = 989) were asked about their identification with family, friends, neighbourhood, their country and humanity and 4 weeks later about feelings of loneliness, physical health and stress. As hypothesized, multiple identifications predicted lower stress. They were also associated with a marginal reduction in physical symptoms of poor health. Both relationships were mediated by the absence of loneliness. In Study 2, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of German participants (N = 1635), which also included a sixth target of identification (Europe). Results replicated findings from Study 1 and also found similar relations associated with smaller (family, friends and neighbourhood) versus larger (country, Europe and Humanity) foci of identification.

Diversity of Group Memberships Predicts Well-Being: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Evidence

Groups have their health and well-being impacted by satisfying their members' needs and providing resources to help cope with threats. Multiple group memberships serve to accumulate these benefits and also provide resilience to the effects of group loss. However, the additional well-being benefits of belonging to multiple different types of group remain to be determined. In a preregistered cross-sectional survey in Nottingham, England (Study 1, N = 328), we found that group-type diversity predicted well-being and that this effect was fully serially mediated by increased creative self-efficacy, then reduced loneliness. To confirm our hypothesis in a more robust sample we conducted longitudinal analyses on the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) dataset (Study 2, N = 5,838) finding that group-type diversity at time one (T1) predicted well-being at T2 (4 years later), even when accounting for wellbeing and loneliness at T1. We discuss the implications for enhancing group-based health interventions.

Group psychological intervention for emotional distress in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A feasibility randomised clinical trial

PURPOSE

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an intensive procedure associated with elevated psychological distress, particularly during the initial stages. Based on self-regulatory theory, a prophylactic group intervention was developed to mitigate this distress by targeting perceptions of HSCT and coping. This study evaluated the feasibility of delivering the intervention and of conducting a randomised clinical trial to assess efficacy.

METHODS

Adults from consecutive referrals at two transplant centres were randomised to the intervention or to treatment as usual at each site. Psychological distress (primary outcome), HSCT perceptions, and coping were assessed at baseline, on transplant day, and two and four weeks after transplantation.

RESULTS

Of 99 eligible patients, 45 consented. Main barriers to consent were insufficient time prior to transplantation, competing priorities, being unwell, and travel distance. Of 21 participants randomised to the intervention, five attended. Main barriers to attendance included insufficient time prior to transplantation and having competing priorities. Groups could not be held sufficiently frequently to enable attendance prior to transplantation, as randomising participants to the control group limited accrual. Anxiety peaked two weeks following transplantation. Depression increased throughout the acute phase. Clinical levels of distress were observed in 42% of patients during HSCT. Intervention effects were small but sample sizes for a full trial appeared feasible.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal prehabilitation is required but there are specific barriers to delivering a group-based intervention and conducting a trial. Group prehabilitation requires customisation and better integration with routine care, such as patient screening, personalisation, and options for remote delivery.

Organizational health climate as a precondition for health-oriented leadership: expanding the link between leadership and employee well-being

The link between leadership and employee well-being is long established. In particular, health-oriented leadership is discussed as a leadership style specifically promoting employee well-being. However, the preconditions of health-oriented leadership remain largely unexplored. From the perspective of conservation of resources theory, leaders can only provide resources when receiving some themselves. We propose that organizational health climate (OHC) is an important organization-based resource for a health-oriented leadership style. More specifically, we hypothesize that the relationship between OHC and employee job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion is mediated by health-oriented leadership. We thereby differentiate two levels of analysis: a within-team level and a between-team level. We examined 74 teams with 423 employees of childcare centers at three time points, each 6 months apart. By means of multilevel structural equation modeling, we found OHC to be a significant antecedent of health-oriented leadership at the between-team level. The relationship between OHC and employee job satisfaction was mediated by health-oriented leadership at the between-team level, but not at the within-team level. The relationship between OHC and employee exhaustion showed another pattern of relationships at the different levels of analysis, while it was not significantly mediated by health-oriented leadership. This indicates the value of differentiating between levels of analysis. We discuss the implications for theory and practice that can be drawn from our findings.

A dual-path psychosocial model of social determinants of health in the community: Results from the Cause Commune program

We tested a dual-path psychosocial framework of social vulnerability that considers the impact of socioeconomic resources and cognitive social capital on health, and whether they were mediated by an enabling psychosocial path (collective efficacy) and a disabling path (loneliness). A total of 1401 people (53.6% female, M_age  = 48.7, SD = 18.1) from a community in Switzerland participated in the study. Structural equation models showed that psychosocial factors were related to both social determinants and health outcomes and partially mediated their interrelation. Our model showed an adequate fit to the data (χ²  = 1,377.56, df = 341, p = 0.000, comparative fit index = 0.93, root mean square error of approximation = 0.05, standardized root mean-squared residual = 0.05). The findings highlight the role of psychosocial-relational factors in the processes of social vulnerability and would be of interest to researchers working on social vulnerability in the community.

Diving into Health: A Mixed Methods Study on the Impact of Scuba Diving in People with Physical Impairments

The impacts of scuba diving on people with physical impairments are unknown. Grounded on the social identity approach to health, the aim of this study was to test and describe the relationships between scuba diving social identity, self-efficacy, social health, psychological health, physical health, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and disability level among recreational scuba divers with physical impairments. A mixed methods explanatory sequential design was employed. The quantitative strand used an 80-item cross-sectional survey, with the data analyzed via a path analysis. The qualitative strand used 1:1 interviews across 3 case study groups; the data were analyzed using deductive and inductive analyses. Mixing occurred via a joint display with meta-inferences. The quantitative results (n = 78) indicated that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of social health, psychological health, physical health, HRQOL, and disability level. The qualitative findings (n = 15) consisted of six themes, whereby participants described scuba as a positive social identity that provides them with meaning, purpose, and belonging. Furthermore, they described scuba diving as a positive contributor to their self-efficacy, social health, psychological health, physical health, and quality of life. During the mixing of data, the quantitative and qualitative results did not match on the influence of scuba diving social identity on self-efficacy, social health, psychological health, physical health, HRQOL, and disability level. A further analysis revealed that the range restriction impaired the conclusive quantitative evidence on the scuba diving social identity variable. The meta-inferences derived from the data integration suggest that scuba diving plays a role in the self-efficacy, health, HRQOL, and disability level among scuba divers with physical impairments. The findings point to the potential of scuba diving as a health promotion recreational activity and rehabilitation modality for people with physical impairments.

The reciprocal relationship between social identification and social support over time: A four-wave longitudinal study

It has been argued that the positive effect of a shared social identity on health and well-being critically hinges on the interplay between social identity and social support. This interplay, however, is poorly understood. Building on Haslam et al., we argue that their relationship can be conceptualized as being reciprocal and dynamic with each variable influencing the other. The present study is the first to examine how the reciprocal relationship between social identification and perceived social support unfolds over time. In a sample of university freshmen (N_T1  = 172), we examined this reciprocal relationship in a four-wave survey study spanning over a period of 13 months. In line with Haslam et al., the results revealed a self-reinforcing cycle with social identification at T1 being positively related to perceived social support at T2, which, in turn, was positively related to social identification at T3, which predicted perceived social support at T4. In conclusion, our study advances knowledge regarding the interplay between social identity and social support over time and, hence, contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the social cure effect.

Need dissatisfaction and its consequences on support for anti-pandemic behaviors in China: The mediation of attribution and local government satisfaction, and the moderation of social class

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the global economy, resulting in a substantial increase in inequality. There is a need to understand need dissatisfaction in this context, its group differences, and its consequences on support for anti-pandemic behaviors.

Methods

Using data from a survey round of the Chinese Social Mentality Survey from 21 April to 26 May 2022, 6,022 participants aged between 18 and 70 years (M = 32.27; SD = 8.74; men = 46.76%) from 29 provinces of Mainland China were included in the study.

Results

1) Need dissatisfaction was negatively related with support for anti-pandemic behaviors and was completely mediated by attribution and local government satisfaction. 2) Internal/external attribution acted as a double-edged sword: they were negatively/positively related with support for anti-pandemic behaviors, while they became positively/negatively related with support for anti-pandemic behaviors via the mediation of local government satisfaction. 3) People who were unemployed and in the subjectively middle class reported higher need dissatisfaction and less support for anti-pandemic behaviors compared to their counterparts. 4) Social class moderated the relationship between need dissatisfaction and internal attribution: when needs were dissatisfied, participants with higher income and subjective social class tended to attribute more internally.

Discussion

This study contributes to the attribution theory and social identity theory in the context of major global public health events and provides practical implications for promoting behavioral compliance in the context of COVID-19. In particular, facilitating a positive interaction between the public and local governments may be helpful to create a shared identity and, ultimately, prevent and control the pandemic together.

Team identification relates to lower burnout-Emotional and instrumental support as two different social cure mechanisms

Team identification is associated with less exhaustion and disengagement through more social support and higher collective self-efficacy. However, previous studies did not distinguish between emotional and instrumental support, even though both forms of support may relate differently to collective self-efficacy. By distinguishing between both support forms, we expected an indirect effect-the 'supportive structure' mechanism-of team identification on burnout mediated via emotional support. For a second mechanism-the 'supportive action' mechanism-we expected an indirect effect serially mediated by instrumental support and collective self-efficacy. We tested our hypotheses among N _T1  = 567 employees in a four-wave study with 3-month time lags between measurement points. Partially in line with our expectations, emotional support (T2) mediated the relation between team identification (T1) and disengagement (T4), but not emotional exhaustion (T4). Moreover, as expected, the results showed an indirect association between team identification (T1) and emotional exhaustion and disengagement (T4) via instrumental support (T2) and collective self-efficacy (T3). Accordingly, employees benefit from both support forms but through different mechanisms. We discuss our findings and implications for future research.

National identification, a social cure for COVID-19? Evidence from 67 countries

BACKGROUND

Social distancing and mass quarantines were implemented worldwide in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research has shown that such measures bear negative consequences for population mental health and well-being. Conversely, a growing body of evidence suggests that feeling positively identified with a group is associated with physical and mental health benefits.

AIMS

This study tested whether national identification could promote wellbeing and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

We used survey data conducted among 67 countries (N = 46,450).

RESULTS

Mixed-model analyses revealed that national identity was associated with wellbeing - despite adjustment on social belonging, COVID-19 perceived risk, exposure and ideology. This effect did not extend to physical health.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the mere feeling of belonging to a national group may have mental health benefits. We discuss the implications of our findings within the social cure framework and their relevance for population mental health under COVID-19.

Self-soothing touch and being hugged reduce cortisol responses to stress: A randomized controlled trial on stress, physical touch, and social identity

Background

Being touched by others improves stress coping. However, when touch from others is unavailable, feels uncomfortable, or is not considered to be safe (as in the COVID-19 pandemic), self-touch gestures, like placing a hand on the heart, may provide an alternative way to experience less strain.

Methods and materials

In this study, 159 healthy participants (96 women, 62 men, and 1 non-binary person), aged 18–35 years, were exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) to investigate whether self-soothing touch or receiving a hug from others has a buffering effect on their stress responses. In addition, the study explored whether the effectiveness of these interventions is moderated by participants' assignment to a “personal” or “social” identity condition. Participants provided salivary cortisol samples, wore an ECG to record their heart rate, and completed self-report measures on stress-related subjective-emotional states during the study.

Results

For cortisol, mixed-effects regression models with Touch and Identity as between-subject factors and Time as the within-subject factor yielded a significant main effect for touch and a significant interaction of Touch x Time indicating that cortisol levels differed between the experimental touch interventions. Post-hoc contrast tests showed that participants in both touch conditions had lower cortisol levels after the stressor than those in the control conditions. Heart rates and self-reported measures of stress neither differed across touch nor identity conditions. The three-way interaction for Touch x Identity x Time was non-significant for either outcome measure.

Discussion

These results are in line with previous work indicating that physical touch has protective effects on physiological stress responses but not necessarily on self-reported stress and suggest that self-soothing touch and receiving hugs are simple and yet potentially powerful means for buffering individuals' resilience against stress.

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Self-soothing touch gestures reduce cortisol responses to psychosocial stress.

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Receiving hugs also reduces cortisol responses to psychosocial stress.

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Benefits from receiving hugs are independent of social identification.

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Self-soothing touch might reduce stress-responses in times of limited social resources.

Personal condition but social cure: Agentic ingroups elevate well-being in chronically ill patients through perceptions of personal control

OBJECTIVES

Social-cure research has shown that ingroup identification can be beneficial for personal health and well-being. Initial evidence for healthy participants suggests that this might be due to group membership providing a sense of personal control. In this research, we investigate this pathway for chronically ill patients, assuming that any ingroup (even patient identity) can serve as social cure by increasing control as long as the ingroup is perceived as agentic (i.e., effective).

DESIGN

We conducted six correlational field studies with patients suffering from different chronic conditions, e.g., cancer (N_total  = 795).

METHODS

All participants were asked about one specific ingroup, e.g., their self-help group. Our main measures were ingroup identification, ingroup agency, personal control and well-being, as well as self-esteem and social support (both discussed as alternative mediators). We performed simple mediation and/or moderated mediation analyses for each study and across studies (merging Studies 2-6).

RESULTS

Overall, the impact of ingroup identification on personal well-being was uniquely mediated via personal control (Studies 1, 2, 3, 6) but, as expected, only for those perceiving their ingroup as highly agentic (Studies 4, 5, 6).

CONCLUSIONS

Ingroup agency is a boundary condition for the control-based pathway of the social cure effect supporting the model of group-based control. This has practical implications for clinical interventions with chronically ill patients.

The amplifying effect of perceived group politicization: Effects of group perceptions and identification on anxiety and coping self-efficacy among members of UK COVID-19 mutual aid groups

Mutual aid groups developed and mobilized in communities across the UK and globally at the outset of the pandemic in order to support vulnerable community members with practical assistance and emotional support, with some understanding their work in political terms. This study adopted a “social cure” lens to investigate the effects of group identification and group perceptions on anxiety and coping self‐efficacy among members of UK Covid‐19 mutual aid groups. Survey data were collected from self‐identified members of these groups (N = 844) during the initial period of “lockdown” restrictions in April – May 2020. Correlational analyses showed that identification with the mutual aid group was linked to more positive group perceptions and better self‐reported psychological outcomes. Perceived group politicization showed the reverse pattern. Mixed support for the “social cure” model was evident; the effect of group identification on coping self‐efficacy (but not anxiety) was serially mediated by perceived support and collective efficacy. Perceived group politicization was a significant moderator, seeming to amplify the indirect effect of group identification on coping self‐efficacy via perceived support. Results are discussed in light of previous empirical work on the social cure and Covid‐19 mutual aid groups. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Us and the Virus

Abstract. From a social psychological perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated protective measures affected individuals’ social relations and basic psychological needs. We aim to identify sources of need frustration (stressors) and possibilities to bolster need satisfaction (buffers). Particularly, we highlight emerging empirical research in which social psychological theorizing can contribute to our understanding of the pandemic’s social consequences: Loneliness, social networks, role conflicts, social identity, compliance, trust, reactance, and conspiracy beliefs. We highlight directions for future social psychological research as the pandemic continues.

Why stress and hunger both increase and decrease prosocial behaviour

Humans are regularly in suboptimal psychophysiological states like stressed or hungry. Previous research has made both claims that such impairments should decrease and that they should increase prosocial behaviour. We describe the overarching theoretical reasoning underlying these opposing predictions. Then we discuss empirical research on the two impairments most frequently studied, acute stress and acute hunger, and we find that neither alters prosocial behaviour clearly in one direction. We argue that this is because even under impairments, humans react flexibly to the incentive structure of the specific social situation they are in. Hence, either prosocial or egoistic tendencies get expressed, depending on which strategy can lead to fulfilment of the need the impairment triggered.

Social identity makes group-based social connection possible: Implications for loneliness and mental health

This review argues that a distinctly positive form of social connection is made possible by the social identities that people derive from psychologically meaningful group memberships. These connections have important implications for mental health by virtue of their distinct capacity to furnish people with a sense of collective meaning, purpose, support, and efficacy. This analysis suggests that loneliness and its toxic effects arise in part from the challenges of achieving this distinct form of social connection in contemporary society. However, it also suggests that a good way to tackle loneliness and support mental health is by building, restoring, and sustaining social identities through meaningful group-based connections. We conclude by reflecting on the success of interventions that do precisely this - most notably Groups 4 Health.

A trouble shared is a trouble halved: The role of family identification and identification with humankind in well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic has triggered health‐related anxiety in ways that undermine peoples’ mental and physical health. Contextual factors such as living in a high‐risk area might further increase the risk of health deterioration. Based on the Social Identity Approach, we argue that social identities can not only be local that are characterized by social interactions, but also be global that are characterized by a symbolic sense of togetherness and that both of these can be a basis for health. In line with these ideas, we tested how identification with one’s family and with humankind relates to stress and physical symptoms while experiencing health‐related anxiety and being exposed to contextual risk factors. We tested our assumptions in a representative sample (N = 974) two‐wave survey study with a 4‐week time lag. The results show that anxiety at Time 1 was positively related to stress and physical symptoms at Time 2. Feeling exposed to risk factors related to lower physical health, but was unrelated to stress. Family identification and identification with humankind were both negatively associated with subsequent stress and family identification was negatively associated with subsequent physical symptoms. These findings suggest that for social identities to be beneficial for mental health, they can be embodied as well as symbolic.

Were we stressed or was it just me - and does it even matter? Efforts to disentangle individual and collective resilience within real and imagined stressors

Although resilience is a multi-level process, research largely focuses on the individual and little is known about how resilience may distinctly present at the group level. Even less is known about subjective conceptualizations of resilience at either level. Therefore, two studies sought to better understand how individuals conceptualize resilience both as an individual and as a group. Study 1 (N = 123) experimentally manipulated whether participants reported on either individual or group-based responses to real stressors and analysed their qualitative responses. For individual responses, subjective resilience featured active coping most prominently, whereas social support was the focus for group-based responses. As these differences might be attributable to the different stressors people remembered in either condition, Study 2 (N = 171) held a hypothetical stressor (i.e., natural disaster) constant. As expected, resilience at the group level emphasized maintaining group cohesion. Surprisingly, the group condition also reported increased likelihood to engage in blame, denial, and behavioural disengagement. Contrary to expectations, participants in the individual condition reported stronger desire to seek out new groups. The combined findings are discussed within the framework of resilience and social identity and highlight the necessity of accounting for multiple levels and subjective conceptualizations of resilience.

'Oh no, not a group!' The factors that lonely or isolated people report as barriers to joining groups for health and well-being

OBJECTIVES

Belonging to groups can significantly affect people's health and well-being for the better ('the social cure') or worse ('the social curse'). Encouraging people to join groups is a central component of the Social Prescribing movement; however, not everyone who might benefit from Social Prescribing aspires to participating in groups. This study aims to identify what barriers are preventing people from experiencing the associated health and well-being benefits of group belonging.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants were 11 white British people (aged 48-86), 1 male and 10 female, recruited by a charity partner of a Social Prescribing project.

RESULTS

The themes derived from the interviews are as follows: (1) 'The dread, the fear of being in a group': When groups do not meet needs; (2) 'I can remember as quite a young child backing out of things': Accumulative barriers over the lifetime, and (3) 'I'm singing away and feeling terribly miserable': the challenges of fitting in with others in groups. The themes reflect how people can feel deterred from social interaction, which interferes with their ability to derive a sense of belonging or shared identity associated with the 'social cure'.

CONCLUSIONS

A key challenge for Social Prescribing is to meet the social needs of people disinclined to join groups; groups can be detrimental to health and well-being if there are barriers to integration. Alternative ways of structuring groups or activities may be more effective and can still avail of the belonging and identity associated with 'the social cure'.

The I and We of Team Identification: A Multilevel Study of Exhaustion and (In)congruence Among Individuals and Teams in Team Identification

The social identity approach to stress proposes that the beneficial effects of social identification develop through individual and group processes, but few studies have addressed both levels simultaneously. Using a multilevel person–environment fit framework, we investigate the group-level relationship between team identification (TI) and exhaustion, the individual-level relationship for people within a group, and the cross-level moderation effect to test whether individual-level exhaustion depends on the level of (in)congruence in TI between individuals and their group as a whole. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 525 employees from 82 teams. Multilevel polynomial regression analysis revealed a negative linear relationship between individual-level identification and exhaustion. Surprisingly, the relation between group-level identification and exhaustion was curvilinear, indicating that group-level identification was more beneficial at low and high levels compared with medium levels. As predicted, the cross-level moderation of the individual-level relationship by group-level identification was also significant, showing that as individuals became more incongruent in a positive direction (i.e., they identified more strongly than the average team member), they reported less exhaustion, but only if the group-level identification was average or high. These results emphasize the benefits of analyzing TI in a multilevel framework, with both theoretical and practical implications.

Opposite associations of collective narcissism and in-group satisfaction with intergroup aggression via belief in the hedonistic function of revenge

We investigated whether collective narcissism (i.e., believing that the in-group is exceptional but insufficiently recognized by others) and in-group satisfaction (i.e., believing that the in-group is a source of satisfaction) have opposite, unique associations with intergroup aggression via belief in the hedonistic function of revenge (i.e., an expectation of emotional reward from harming others in response to feeling oneself harmed). Results of two studies conducted in Poland (N = 675) found that collective narcissism is positively related to belief in the hedonistic function of revenge, whereas in-group satisfaction is negatively related, and both are related to intergroup aggression. These relationships were found only when the overlap between collective narcissism and in-group satisfaction was partialled out. The results shed a new light on the mechanisms linking in-group positivity to out-group derogation, and highlight the importance of investigating revenge motivations in the intergroup relations.

The social curse: Evidence for a moderating effect of shared social identity on contagious stress reactions

Contagious stress describes the transmission of a stress response from a distressed individual (target) to an uninvolved observer. Building on social identity theory, we hypothesize that a shared social identity between the observer and the target as compared to a personal identity increases the likelihood of contagious endocrine and psychological stress responses. Participants underwent the experiment in groups of four or five individuals. After experimentally inducing either a shared social identity or a personal identity, one participant in each group (N_target = 27) was randomly chosen to undergo the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), while being observed by the rest of the group (N_observer = 89). Salivary cortisol and psychological stress responses were assessed repeatedly during the experiment. As predicted, the likelihood of cortisol stress reactions was significantly higher in the social identity condition (25 %) as compared to the personal identity condition (7 %). No effect of our manipulation on psychological stress responses was found. We also tested whether observers' trait empathy moderates contagious stress and found no support for this moderation.