Interactive effects of social network centrality and social identification on stress

Social ties and social identification: Influences on well-being in young adults

Research highlights the positive impact of social connectedness on subjective well-being. In this paper, we test a model in which an identity-based mechanism links a structural form of connectedness (significant social ties) with two psychological well-being outcomes, life satisfaction and self-esteem. Using data from the LIVES Longitudinal Lausanne Youth Study (LIVES-LOLYS, N = 422), a longitudinal mediation path model tests direct and indirect effects, via the strength of social identification, of the number of significant social ties in two life domains (friends and family) on life satisfaction and self-esteem. Results showed positive associations between the number of significant ties and social identification in the concordant domain, empirically linking the structural and subjective forms of social connectedness. Moreover, our model displays significant indirect effects in the friend domain, but not in the family domain. Having more friends as significant social ties predicted higher social identification with friends, and this was longitudinally associated with higher life satisfaction and self-esteem. Findings show a new mechanism linking structural and subjective forms of social connectedness, unpacking their concerted impact in protecting well-being. The differences between the friend and family domains are discussed in the framework of both life-course and social identity perspectives.

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.

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.

Controlling COVID-19 transmission with isolation of influential nodes

To understand the transmission dynamics of any infectious disease outbreak, identification of influential nodes plays a crucial role in a complex network. In most infectious disease outbreaks, activities of some key nodes can trigger rapid disease transmission in the population. Identification and immediate isolation of those influential nodes can impede the disease transmission effectively. In this paper, the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method with a novel formula has been proposed to detect the influential and top ranked nodes in a complex social network, which involves analyzing and studying of structural organization of a network. In the proposed TOPSIS method, several centrality measures have been used as multi-attributes of a complex social network. A new formula has been designed for calculating the transmission probability of an epidemic disease to identify the impact of isolating influential nodes. To verify the robustness of the proposed method, we present a comprehensive comparison with five node-ranking methods, which are being used currently for assessing the importance of nodes. The key nodes can be considered as a person, community, cluster or a particular area. The Susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemic model is exploited in two real networks to examine the spreading ability of the nodes, and the results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Our findings have unearthed that quarantine or isolation of influential nodes following proper health protocols can play a pivotal role in curbing the transmission rate of COVID-19.

How Do Perceived Social Support and Community Social Network Alleviate Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Lockdown? The Mediating Role of Residents' Epidemic Prevention Capability

Aim

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, China adopted community isolation management measures. During the "lockdown" period, urban communities were the most basic prevention and control unit for the epidemic. The effectiveness of community epidemic prevention directly affects the spread of the virus and social stability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the status quo and influencing factors of psychological distress.

Methods

For this study, 1,430 community households were randomly selected in key cities affected by the epidemic, and a questionnaire survey was administered during the lockdown period. A structural equation model was used to analyse the influencing factors of community epidemic prevention effects. A total of 1,326 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid response rate of 92.73%.

Results

In this study, the differences in psychological distress among different community types were statistically significant (t = 58.41, P < 0.01). The results showed that epidemic prevention capability played a mediating role. The results of the high-order structural equation model analysis showed that perceived social support (β = -0.275, P = 0.000) and community social network (β = -0.296, P < 0.01) were significantly negatively correlated with psychological distress.

Conclusions

Community social support indirectly relieves psychological anxiety and improves the effect of epidemic prevention by enhancing residents' ability to prevent epidemics. The community social network help residents reduce the risk of outbreaks and indirectly alleviate psychological distress.