New social identities in Ukrainian 'refugees': A social cure or social curse?

Experiencing traumatic events often drives profound post-traumatic stress (PTS), but trauma also has the potential to engender positive consequences, such as post-traumatic growth (PTG). Traumatic experiences may also lead to gaining new identities which can have both protective (i.e., social cure) or damaging (i.e., social curse) effects on health and well-being. This study aims to examine the role of new social identities and related social identity resources acquired after war-related experiences (i.e., identification with a new host society and identification as a refugee) in contributing to different trauma trajectories. The sample included 468 participants who left Ukraine due to the war that commenced on February 24th, 2022, and became residents of Ireland or Poland. The findings indicate that identification with the host society was associated with lower PTS and greater PTG. Whereas identification with refugees was related to higher PTS, but it was not directly associated with PTG. Further, the psychological resources derived from these new identities mediated the relationship between identification strength and PTG. This study offers practical insights for interventions targeting refugees in their new countries of residence.

Religious engagement and antibody response to the COVID-19 vaccine.

This research examined religious engagement and subsequent antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine. Using publicly available data from the Understanding Society survey, we employed a longitudinal design. Between January 2016 and May 2018, respondents completed measures of religious belonging, frequency of attending religious services (i.e., extrinsic religiosity), and the difference religion made to their lives (i.e., intrinsic religiosity). A COVID-19 survey wave was collected in March 2021 and measured antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine via blood draw. A final sample of 746 adults [462 (61.9%) females, Mage = 61.94, SD = 19.07] was achieved. Mediation analyses (PROCESS, Model 4; Hayes, Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, The Guildford Press, 2022; Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach; The Guildford Press) revealed one pathway through which religion and antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine are associated, namely via extrinsic factors-attendance at religious services. In contrast, intrinsic religious factors which is the difference religion can make to one's life, was not a significant mediator. Overall, this analysis provides evidence that behavioural enactment of religion matters to the effectiveness of vaccination and the management of public health crises. It also highlights the value of social resources associated with engagement in valued social groups-and in particular religious social groups-for public health.

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.

A qualitative study examining young peoples' perceptions and adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Public health measures are the main intervention to stop the spread of COVID-19. They rely on the adherence to everyday health behaviors, and depend on those at high and low personal risk of serious disease to comply. Young people are crucial to stemming community transmission, and are often living in shared housing and at a stage of their lives with more economic uncertainty than older groups. Public health messaging has relied on the mantra that we are 'in it together,' despite very diverse experiences of the pandemic across different groups. The central aim of this research is to understand and optimize young peoples' engagement with public health guidelines with the view to improve future adherence with public health initiatives. METHOD: Twelve young people were interviewed as part of this research, ranging from 18 to 24 years. Interviewees were chosen to ensure that there was a diverse range of opinions within the participant pool. Interviews were semi-structured with open questions and the flexibility to explore the topics of interest that arose. All interviews were fully transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: This study found that participants deemed the consequences of lockdown a greater threat than infection with SARS-COV-2. Participants expressed concerns about the government's handling of the pandemic. Some felt young peoples' interests were not represented by authorities. There were concerns that messaging was inaccurate, difficult to understand, and filled with statistical and medical jargon. These perceptions underpinned a sense that the guidelines could be broken in good conscience as well as result in accidental breaches of the guidelines. Though wider community factors were often cited as having a positive influence on health behavior, differences and division were seen to inspire trust or adherence. CONCLUSION: These findings provide an insight into the psychological, financial and physical difficulties young people face as a consequence of pandemic public health measures and lockdowns in particular. They highlight the need for better communication with young people to support and embed trust in authorities and the scientific and political community.

PROTOCOL: Group-based interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of trauma type.

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The primary objective is to assess the effects of group-based treatments on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology in people diagnosed with PTSD (by a clinician or screening instrument) or referred to a PTSD treatment group for their symptoms by a medical professional. We will also examine a range of moderators that may affect the efficacy of group-based treatments, including the nature of the trauma (interpersonal, stigmatized) and the group fit (in terms of gender and shared vs. unshared trauma). Further, we will also explore what, if any, group-based and social identity factors are recorded and how they relate to PTSD outcomes.

Pandemic threat and group cohesion: national identification in the wake of COVID-19 is associated with authoritarianism.

Authoritarianism emerges in times of societal threat, in part driven by desires for group-based security. As such, we propose that the threat caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased authoritarian tendencies and that this can be partially explained by increased national identification. We tested this hypothesis by collecting cross-sectional data from three different countries in April 2020. In Study 1, data from Ireland (N = 1276) showed that pandemic threat predicted increased national identification, which in turn predicted authoritarianism. In Study 2, we replicated this indirect effect in a representative UK sample (N = 506). In Study 3, we used an alternative measure of authoritarianism and conceptually replicated this effect among USA citizens (N = 429). In this US sample, the association between threat and authoritarian tendencies was stronger among progressives compared to conservatives. Findings are discussed and linked to group-based models of authoritarianism.

In it together?: Exploring solidarity with frontline workers in the United Kingdom and Ireland during COVID-19.

The phrase 'in it together' has been used liberally since the outbreak of COVID-19, but the extent that frontline workers felt 'in it together' is not well understood. Here, we consider the factors that built (or eroded) solidarity while working through the pandemic, and how frontline workers navigated their lives through periods of disconnection. Semi-structured interviews with 21 frontline workers, across all sectors, were conducted in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The qualitative data were analysed systematically using reflexive thematic analysis. The three themes identified in the data were: (1) Solidarity as central to frontline experiences; (2) Leadership as absent, shallow and divisive: highlighting 'us-them' distinctions and (3) The rise of 'us' and 'we' among colleagues. Our research offers insights into how frontline workers make sense of their experiences of solidarity and discordance during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with relevance for government and organizational policy-makers shaping future conditions for frontline workers.

Social integration: Implications for the association between childhood trauma and stress responsivity.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood trauma is linked to the dysregulation of physiological responses to stress, particularly lower cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to acute stress. The mechanisms that explain this association, however, are not yet fully understood. METHOD: Using secondary data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Biomarker Project (N = 1,148; n = 652 females), we examine whether social integration can help explain the association between childhood trauma and lower CVR. Participants completed a standardized laboratory stress paradigm which involved completing executive functioning (Stroop) and mental arithmetic (MATH) tasks. Cardiovascular measurements were continuously assessed using electrocardiogram (ECG) and Finometer equipment. The Social Well-Being Scale (Keyes, 1998) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ; Bernstein et al., 2003) measured social integration and trauma, respectively. RESULTS: Regression analyses demonstrated that childhood trauma was associated with lower systolic (SBP; ß = -.14, p < .001) and diastolic (DBP; ß = -.11, p < .001) blood pressure reactivity but not heart rate (HR) reactivity. Mediation analyses, using Hayes PROCESS Model 4, showed that higher levels of trauma were associated with less social integration and in turn linked to lower reactivity across all biological indices. Moreover, sensitivity analyses showed that this indirect effect via social integration was evident for emotional and physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect, but not sexual abuse. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results indicated that dysregulated cardiovascular stress responses owing to childhood trauma may be shaped by a lack of social integration. The implications of this, as well as the findings for the individual types of trauma, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

State level income inequality affects cardiovascular stress responses: Evidence from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.

RATIONALE: The slow and insidious effects of income inequality on health means that their effects can be difficult to reveal, taking many years to become apparent. These effects can also be experienced differently according to subjective status and ethnicity making the relation between income inequality and health difficult to understand. Cardiovascular reactions to acute stress are indicative of future health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether short to medium term income inequality affected cardiovascular responses to acute stress whilst accounting for ethnic groups and subjective status. METHOD: Participants state of residence was available for 1155 people who participated in the MIDUS biomarker data project. This detail was used to merge the relevant US state level inequality data 1, 5, 10 and 15 years prior to the MIDUS biomarker data project which assessed cardiovascular responses to acute stress. RESULTS: Our analysis demonstrated an association between inequality 5, 10 and 15 year prior and cardiovascular reactions to acute stress. Subjective community status and Black and minority ethnic group membership interacted to affect the association between inequality and cardiovascular reactions. CONCLUSIONS: In states where income inequality was high, less healthy cardiovascular responses were evident. However lower subjective community status and Black and Ethnic minority group members interacted with income inequality such that their impact was variable contingent on state level inequality. These findings extend the literature on income inequality and health and particularly highlights a psychophysiology pathway linking income inequality and health.

Social cohesion and loneliness are associated with the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Recent research has suggested that psychosocial factors influence the antibody response to vaccine, including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines. Here we investigated whether social cohesion and loneliness were predictive of antibody response to a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. We also tested if the association between social cohesion and antibody response was mediated by feelings of loneliness. METHODS: Participants (N = 676) COVID-19 antibody data were extracted from March 2021 wave of the Understanding Society COVID-19 study from the UK. Relevant socio-demographics, health and lifestyle, loneliness, social cohesion indices were also used in a series of hierarchical linear regression to test our main hypotheses. RESULTS: After controlling for covariates (e.g., age and chronic health conditions), lower social cohesion was associated with a lower antibody response. Further, the association between social cohesion and poorer antibody responses was mediated by loneliness; those reporting lower social cohesion also reported higher loneliness, which in turn was associated with lower antibody response. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that feelings of 'being in it together' relate to the strength of the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination, emphasising the importance of the social cohesion agenda during the pandemic.

Health literacy among self-help leprosy group members reduces stereotype endorsement and stigma-related harm in rural Nepal.

There is increasing appreciation that group memberships can have both beneficial and damaging impacts on health. In collaboration with Nepal Leprosy Trust (NLT), this longitudinal study explores a group-based approach to stigma reduction among people affected by leprosy in rural Nepal (N = 71)-a hard to reach and underrepresented non-WEIRD population. Informed by the 'social cure' literature, and the progressive model of self-stigma, we use a longitudinal design. We found that a sense of belonging to a self-help group can facilitate education in terms of health literacy, and over time these two factors also have impacts on participants stigma. Specifically, self-help group belonging predicted improvements in health literacy, leading to reduced endorsement of negative stereotypes and thus less stigma-related harm among people affected by leprosy. The study offers promising evidence that group-based interventions, which support health education, can reduce the harmful impact of stigma in very challenging contexts.

A resilience building collaboration: A social identity empowerment approach to trauma management in leprosy-affected communities.

OBJECTIVES: Communities affected by leprosy encounter multiple traumas and adversities and are some of the poorest in the world. A diagnosis of leprosy can have catastrophic implications for peoples social, health, and economic circumstances. In this article, we describe a reciprocal collaboration with a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that supports people affected by leprosy, trauma, and adversity in rural Nepal. We offer a social identity-based empowerment approach for two reasons. We argue this approach is particularly suited to support those impacted by trauma and its psychological aftermath as those affected are disproportionately from disempowered and marginalized groups. Second, we know that people gain strength from others with whom they share experiences. METHOD: We offer longitudinal data (N = 71) to support this model of a mutually respectful, participatory, and collaborative approach with the Nepal Leprosy Trust (NLT), a social development NGO. RESULTS: Findings of mediation analysis highlight that where a traumatic experience is highly stigmatized and isolating there is value in a group-based, self-help approach that emphasizes empowerment. CONCLUSION: A group-based approach that focuses on increasing knowledge and collective social resources is empowering for those affected by leprosy and adversity, because these resources build resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

New group memberships formed after an acquired brain injury and posttraumatic growth: A prospective study.

Predicting positive psychosocial outcomes following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) remains a challenge. Considerable research demonstrates that social group memberships can have positive effects on psychological well-being, particularly during life transitions. Social group memberships are argued to help people derive a sense of self. This prospective study examined if social group memberships (number of groups and connectedness with groups) could predict posttraumatic growth (PTG) in those affected by ABI. Thirty-six participants (10 females, Mage = 46.56, SD = 11.46) engaged in community rehabilitation services completed measures at two time-points. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the number of new group memberships (groups formed post-injury) predicted greater PTG at time 2, via stronger connectedness with these new group memberships (controlling for initial PTG). The observed results suggest that a focus on developing and strengthening connections with new group memberships may promote positive adjustment after brain injury.

Multiple group membership, social network size, allostatic load and well-being: A mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether social network size and allostatic load (AL) mediated the association between multiple group membership (MGM) and future physical and psychological well-being. METHODS: A longitudinal design was used and data from 1026 healthy participants on the relevant variables was extracted from Wave 2(2010-12), Wave 3 (2011-2013) (for baseline MGM, social network size and AL) and Wave 9 (2017-19) (for well-being at follow-up) of the Understanding Society UK population-based dataset. RESULTS: MGM was not directly associated with future well-being, but both social network size, ß = 0.06, t = 2.02, p = .04, and AL, ß = -0.06, t = -2.05, p = .04, were associated with physical but not psychological well-being at follow-up. Those who had higher numbers of friends had better physical well-being, and those who had lower AL risk scores had better physical well-being at follow-up. However, MGM was indirectly associated with physical well-being through social network size, and AL such that those reporting higher MGM, reported a greater number of friends which was associated with a lower AL and then future physical well-being, ß = 0.004, CI [0.001., 0.0129]. This was not evident for psychological well-being. This mediation withstood adjustment for confounding factors (e.g. age, gender, marital status lifestyle factors). CONCLUSION: The present study extends findings on the existing social relationships and social cure literature and our findings are discussed in relation to the social cure hypothesis.

The Political Psychology of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to unprecedented and extraordinary conditions. It represents a profound threat to health and political and economic stability globally. It is the pressing issue of the current historical moment and is likely to have far-reaching social and political implications over the next decade. Political psychology can inform our preparedness for the next phase of the pandemic as well as our planning for a post COVID-19 world. We hope that this special issue will play its part in helping us to think how we manage and live with COVID-19 over the coming decade. In this editorial, we review the key themes arising from the contributions to our special issue and, alongside existing knowledge highlight the relevance of political psychology to finding solutions during this time of crisis. The contributions to this special issue and the pandemic raise many classic topics of central interest to political psychology: leadership, solidarity and division, nationalism, equality, racism, and international and intergroup relations. In our editorial, we offer an analysis that highlights three key themes. First, the importance of sociopolitical factors in shaping behavior during this pandemic. Second, the relevance of political leadership and rhetoric to collective efforts to tackle SARS-COV-2. And third, how sociopolitical cohesion and division has become increasingly relevant during this time of threat and crisis.

Personal and Political: Post-Traumatic Stress Through the Lens of Social Identity, Power, and Politics.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has always been controversial and highly politicized. Here, using a social identity approach, we review evidence that trauma and its aftermath are fundamentally linked to social position, sociopolitical capital, and power. We begin this contribution by demonstrating how a person's group memberships (and the social identities they derive from these memberships) are inherently linked to the experience of adversity. We then go on to consider how it is through group memberships that individuals are defined by their trauma risk and trauma histories-that is, a person's group memberships and their trauma are often inherently linked. Considering the importance of group memberships for understanding trauma, we argue that it is important to see these, and group processes more generally, as more than just "demographic" risk factors. Instead, we argue that when groups are defined by their trauma history or risk, their members will often derive some sense of self from this trauma. For this reason, attributes of group memberships are important in developing an understanding of adjustment and adaptation to trauma. In particular, groups' status, their recourse to justice, and the level of trust and solidarity within the group are all central to the impact of traumatic events on individual-level psychological resilience. We review evidence that supports this analysis by focusing on the exacerbating effects of stigma and social mistrust on post-traumatic stress, and the value of solidarity and strong identities for resilience. We conclude that because of these group-related processes, trauma interweaves the personal with the political and that post-traumatic stress is fundamentally about power, positionality, and politics.

Identity processes and eating disorder symptoms during university adjustment: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Young people with eating disorders (EDs) and ED symptoms are at risk during university adjustment, suggesting a need to protect their health. The social identity approach proposes that people's social connections - and the identity-related behaviour they derive from them - are important for promoting positive health outcomes. However, there is a limited understanding as to how meaningful everyday connections, supported by affiliative identities, may act to reduce ED symptoms during a life transition. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-one first year university students with an ED or ED symptoms completed an online survey during the first month of university. Participants completed self-reported measures of affiliative identity, social support, injunctive norms and ED symptoms. Path analysis was used to test a hypothesised mediated model, whereby affiliative identity has a significant indirect relation with ED symptoms via social support and injunctive norms. RESULTS: Results support the hypothesised model. We show that affiliative identity predicts lower self-reported ED symptoms, because of its relation with social support and injunctive norms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings imply that affiliative identities have a positive impact on ED symptoms during university adjustment, because the social support derived from affiliative identity is associated with how people perceive norms around disordered eating. Our discussion emphasises the possibility of identity processes being a social cure for those at risk of ED symptoms.