Group identities benefit well-being by satisfying needs

Connecting to Community: A Social Identity Approach to Neighborhood Mental Health

ACADEMIC ABSTRACT

Integrative theorizing is needed to advance our understanding of the relationship between where a person lives and their mental health. To this end, we introduce a social identity model that provides an integrated explanation of the ways in which social-psychological processes mediate and moderate the links between neighborhood and mental health. In developing this model, we first review existing models that are derived primarily from a resource-availability perspective informed by research in social epidemiology, health geography, and urban sociology. Building on these, the social identity model implicates neighborhood identification in four key pathways between residents' local environment and their mental health. We review a wealth of recent research that supports this model and which speaks to its capacity to integrate and extend insights from established models. We also explore the implications of the social identity approach for policy and intervention.

PUBLIC ABSTRACT

We need to understand the connection between where people live and their mental health better than we do. This article helps us do this by presenting an integrated model of the way that social and psychological factors affect the relationship between someone's neighborhood and their mental health. This model builds on insights from social epidemiology, health geography, and urban sociology. Its distinct and novel contribution is to point to the importance of four pathways through which neighborhood identification shapes residents' mental health. A large body of recent research supports this model and highlights its potential to integrate and expand upon existing theories. We also discuss how our model can inform policies and interventions that seek to improve mental health outcomes in communities.

Multiple group membership and executive function in a socioeconomically diverse sample

Belonging to multiple groups is an important feature of our social lives. However, it is largely unknown if it is related to individual differences in cognitive performance. Given that changing self-identities linked to each group requires cognitive operations on knowledge bases associated with each group, the extent to which people belong to multiple groups may be related to individual differences in cognitive performance. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to test if multiple group membership is related to executive function task performance. A socioeconomically diverse sample of 395 individuals in Indonesia participated in this study. Our results show that multiple group membership was positively related to the 3-back working memory performance. However, we also found that this relationship was significant only among participants with high (not median or low) SES. We also observed that Contact diversity was negatively related to working memory performance among participants with low SES. Our results show that the complexity of our social lives is related to individual differences in executive function performance, although this seems to be constrained by SES.

The effects of hierarchical relationship on well-being of surgical team members in operating theaters: Prospective cohort study

Although there are many studies about wellbeing on healthcare professionals, the relationship between hierarchy and well-being has not been studied much. In this study, we focused on surgical branch professionals (anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses) as organized in a strict hierarchy. We explored the association between the position within the organizational hierarchy in operating theaters and well-being. Data were collected in 2 parts as cross-sectional (baseline) and daily surveys (for 15 days). A total of 226 participants participated in the baseline study and 156 participants in the daily surveys. How hierarchical positions, in-group identification and personality traits were related to the well-being and experiences of surgical team members were investigated. System justification, social dominance orientation, and personality theories were used to investigate personality traits. Emotional stability and identification with other healthcare professionals were positively associated with positive experience and well-being. Daily hierarchical relationship when the team members were in a superior position was positively associated with that day's well-being, positive experience, enjoying working, and motivation to work on the following day. Conversely, the negative effects of daily hierarchical relationships on outcomes were not seen when the participants were in a subordinate position. Our findings were parallel to the literature that perceived autonomy in the workplace has positive impacts on the well-being. Furthermore, we found that in-group identification can protect surgical branch professionals from the adverse effects of the organizational hierarchy. We suppose our findings can contribute to the literature to evaluate organizational structure of operating theaters.

Pace setting as an adaptive precursor of rhythmic musicality

Human musicality (the capacity to make and appreciate music) is difficult to explain in evolutionary terms, though many theories attempt to do so. This paper focuses on musicality's potential adaptive precursors, particularly as related to rhythm. It suggests that pace setting for walking and running long distances over extended time periods (endurance locomotion, EL) is a good candidate for an adaptive building block of rhythmic musicality. The argument is as follows: (1) over time, our hominin lineage developed a host of adaptations for efficient EL; (2) the ability to set and maintain a regular pace was a crucial adaptation in the service of EL, providing proximate rewards for successful execution; (3) maintaining a pace in EL occasioned hearing, feeling, and attending to regular rhythmic patterns; (4) these rhythmic patterns, as well as proximate rewards for maintaining them, became disassociated from locomotion and entrained in new proto-musical contexts. Support for the model and possibilities for generating predictions to test it are discussed.

The mediating role of social connectedness and hope in the relationship between group membership continuity and mental health problems in vulnerable young people

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence of a beneficial effect of social group processes on well-being and mental health.

AIMS

To investigate the role of group membership continuity in reducing mental ill-health among young people who were already vulnerable pre-pandemic, and to understand the social and psychological mechanisms of the benefits of group memberships for vulnerable young people.

METHOD

This study takes a cross-sectional design, using survey data from a sample of 105 young people aged 16-35 years, collected approximately 1 year after the global COVID-19 outbreak (January to July 2021). Correlational and path analyses were used to test the associations between group membership continuity and mental health problems (depression, anxiety, psychotic-like experiences) and the mediation of these associations by hope and social connectedness (in-person and online). To correct for multiple testing, the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure was implemented for all analyses. Indirect effects were assessed with coverage of 99% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Multiple prior group memberships were associated with preservation of group memberships during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person social connectedness, online social connectedness and hope mediated the relationship between group membership continuity and mental health problem symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that clinical and public health practice should support vulnerable young people to foster and maintain their social group memberships, hopefulness and perceived sense of social connectedness as means of helping to prevent exacerbation of symptoms and promote recovery of mental health problems, particularly during significant life events.

The group mechanism in treatment: group identification and cohesion contributes to reducing chronic lower back pain by increasing personal control

PURPOSE

There is increasing recognition of the contribution that group processes, particularly identification and cohesion, make to outcomes of group delivered health treatments. This study examined the role that these particular group processes play in the treatment of lower back pain, and a theorised mechanism of personal control through which group treatment might enhance outcomes.

METHODS

Participants (N = 85) elected to either receive NeuroHAB^®, a defined functional movement therapy of 8 weeks duration, or continue with treatment-as-usual (TAU). Pain intensity and disability were assessed at baseline (T1) and post-intervention or 8 weeks later (T2), as well as at a 1-month follow-up (T3). Only the NeuroHAB^® participants additionally completed weekly questionnaires that measured treatment group identification, cohesion, and personal control.

RESULTS

NeuroHAB^® was significantly more effective than TAU in reducing pain intensity and disability at T2 and T3. Furthermore, among NeuroHAB^® recipients, stronger treatment group identification and cohesion early in the program predicted better pain outcomes over time, and this relationship was fully mediated by perceptions of personal control.

CONCLUSION

These data provide further support for the role of group identification and cohesion as a contributing mechanism of change in group-based treatments and extend this to the domain of pain management.Implications for RehabilitationA focus on defined functional movement therapy, as offered by the NeuroHAB^® group program, was found to improve pain outcomes in patients with lower back pain.A key ingredient in the NeuroHAB^® rehabilitation program was its group delivery.Group delivery supported treatment group identification and cohesion which, through enhancing the perception of personal control, reduced pain intensity and disability.

A community-led intervention to build neighbourhood identification predicts better wellbeing following prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns

Introduction

A growing body of research supports the importance of social cohesion for population wellbeing. However, the majority of this research has been correlational, and rarely have interventions been evaluated.

Method

We conducted a two-timepoint study investigating the role of Neighbour Day, a grass-roots, community-led intervention that seeks to build social cohesion across the population. Among a sample of 843, 125 were Neighbour Day participants while the remainder were not.

Results

We found that, compared to non-participants, Neighbour Day participants had significantly higher neighbourhood identification, experienced greater social cohesion, and had larger neighbourhood social networks. Between timepoints, the majority of the sample experienced prolonged lockdowns to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and so unsurprisingly, wellbeing declined and psychological distress increased. However, Neighbour Day participants were protected against these negative mental health effects of lockdown. These benefits of Neighbour Day participation were mediated via neighbourhood identification.

Discussion

Overall, the findings speak to the promise of large-scale interventions to build social identity, particularly due to their capacity to build resilience and protect people's wellbeing during times of collective change or crisis.

The Influence of Guozhuang Dance on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: The Chain Mediating Effect of Group Identity and Self-Efficacy

BACKGROUND

In the context of the gradually accelerating aging of the population, the subjective well-being of older adults has received extensive research attention. Guozhuang Dance is a collective aerobic exercise that plays an important role in the physical activity of older Chinese adults. Studying the intrinsic relationship between Guozhuang Dance and the subjective well-being can help improve the quality of life and well-being of older adults in their later years. This study was conducted in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China, where many older adults practice Guozhuang Dance. Previous studies pointed out that group identity and self-efficacy can influence well-being in a collective exercise.

METHODS

For this study, we recruited 520 adults (male = 228, female = 292) aged 65 years or older from Chengdu who participated in Guozhuang Dance, to conduct a survey to understand the effect of this exercise on their subjective well-being. The Guozhuang Dance exercise scale, the group identity scale, the self-efficacy scale, and the subjective well-being scale were used in the study. We used SPSS for the descriptive statistical analysis, and AMOS for the structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The results of the study show that Guozhuang Dance has a positive effect on enhancing the subjective well-being of older adults and can increase the subjective well-being through the chain mediating effect of group identity and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that effective measures should be taken to encourage older adults to participate in Guozhuang Dance, in order to enhance their subjective well-being.

Taking advantage of multiple identities to reduce defensiveness to personally threatening health messages

A host of studies have shown that self-relevant health messages may result in increased defensiveness and rejection of protective recommendations. Drawing on research showing that multiple identities offer psychological resources to deal with identity threats, we sought to examine whether the salience of an alternative identity before people are exposed to a personally relevant health message may buffer the threat and reduce defensive responses. Two studies were conducted on samples of daily smokers asked to read an antismoking message before completing a range of measures of defensiveness. Half of the participants had an alternative identity made salient beforehand (vs. no salience condition). Consistent with our hypotheses, Study 1 (N = 90) showed that this manipulation significantly reduced defensiveness to the message. Study 2 (N = 95) additionally showed that such effects only occurred when the alternative identity overlapped highly with the threatened identity. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Social background concealment among first-generation students: The role of social belonging and academic achievement concerns

Although higher education has become more accessible to people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, the transition to university is more difficult for first- compared to continuing-generation students. Previous research showed that social identity processes are key to understand differences between first- and continuing-generation students’ experiences at university. In the present paper, we argue that social background identity concealment may occur as a coping process among first-generation students. A longitudinal study among 829 first-year university students showed that first-generation students indeed concealed their social background at university more than continuing-generation students. This was especially the case when they had experienced concerns about their social belonging at university, indicating that identity concealment resulted from concerns to fit in at university. Finally, social background concealment was related to a decrease in well-being, suggesting that concealment is a costly social identity management strategy. Instead, universities should put in efforts to increase first-generation students’ sense of belonging.

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.

The mediational effect of social support between organizational identification and employees' health: a three-wave study on the social cure model

BACKGROUND

Recent research postulated that organizational identification plays an important role in employees' health and well-being. Building on the Social Identity Approach as a framework, we test the so-called social cure hypothesis, according to which group-based processes of social support should reduce employees' psychological distress.

DESIGN AND METHODS

While there is a considerable amount of cross-sectional evidence concerning the positive role played by organizational identification in this dynamic, there is a lack of full panel studies. This study tries to fill this gap by using data from a sample of technical and administrative staff of a University in Italy at three time points (N = 96). Data were analyzed using Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Panel models.

RESULTS

We found support for the hypothesized longitudinal mediational model. Specifically, strongly identified employees tend to receive more social support, and this in turn reduces psychological distress over time.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first test of the social cure hypothesis in an organizational context that uses a panel study design. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for management.

Young Group Identification and Motives as Predictors of Ageism, Aging Anxiety, and Life Satisfaction

The present study examined young group identification and young group motives (i.e., self-esteem, distinctiveness, belonging, meaning, efficacy, and continuity) as predictors of ambivalent ageism, stereotyping of older people, aging anxiety, and life satisfaction among Turkish university students. Participants (N = 226) completed scales measuring age group identification, social identity motives, ambivalent ageism, stereotyping of older people, aging anxiety, and life satisfaction. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that belonging to a young group was a significant predictor for ambivalent ageism. Young group identification and meaning were significant predictors for negative stereotyping of older people. Young group self-esteem was a significant predictor for aging anxiety. Young group identification, self-esteem, and meaning were significant predictors for life satisfaction. None of the independent variables was a significant predictor for positive stereotyping of older people.

The social identity approach: Appraising the Tajfellian legacy

Since its original formulation, Tajfel's Social Identity Theory (SIT) has broadened considerably from its original focus on intergroup relations and is now applied to a wide range of phenomena. Indeed, the 'social identity approach' has become one of the most widely used perspectives in contemporary social psychology. In this article, I examine the popularity of Tajfel's writings on social identity and intergroup relations, especially over the last thirty years when they started to become more generally used. I offer a critical appraisal of the original SIT, both as a theory of intergroup relations and as a theory of identity, concluding that its real value lies in its success in offering an over-arching perspective on the importance of groups in social life and its ability to stimulate new areas of research. I then widen the discussion to consider how the social identity perspective has been used in a number of other fields of enquiry.

Social Factors Boost Well-Being Behind Bars: The Importance of Individual and Group Ties for Prisoner Well-Being

BACKGROUND

Prisoners often suffer from social isolation and higher levels of ill-health and ill-being. Research has demonstrated the positive health consequences that stem from social interaction, and especially group ties, amongst non-offender populations.

METHODS

This work is based on a secondary analysis of a large-scale dataset that includes data on prisoners residing in all prison establishments in the UK (Study 1: N = 11,880; prisons = 113), and on a questionnaire booklet that was completed by prisoners residing in one prison in the UK (Study 2: N = 157).

RESULTS

Study 1 showed that positive prisoner interactions are associated with greater prisoner well-being, due to the feelings of autonomy that these interactions provide. Study 2 showed that prisoners who reported being members of multiple groups had higher well-being, an effect mediated by the satisfaction of particular psychological needs; and an effect moderated by group contact discrepancy.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides evidence that strong prisoner ties and memberships in groups are associated with greater well-being among prisoners, and identifies psychological needs and group contact as explanatory mechanisms; which progresses the field and has important policy and practical implications.