Social identification and depression: Why different aspects of social identification can simultaneously harm and help well-being in people with depression

Tietjen, Pia (2022) Social identification and depression: Why different aspects of social identification can simultaneously harm and help well-being in people with depression. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Social identification, or perceiving the self as part of a social group, can have a positive impact on mental health, a process known as the social cure effect. However, it is suggested that this effect is weaker and more complex in stigmatised groups. Only a few studies have tested the social cure effect applied to the group of people with depression; but there is some evidence that the identity centrality dimension of social identification predicts lower well-being in people with depression (Cruwys & Gunaseelan, 2016). Building on to that, we ran a correlational study with 238 participants who have been clinically diagnosed with depression, testing the indirect effects of identity centrality and identity solidarity on well-being through rumination, self-stigma, social connectedness, and social support. The results of the path analysis showed that identity centrality can predict more depressive symptoms through increased self-stigma and rumination, as well as lower life-satisfaction through rumination. Moreover, identity solidarity predicts higher life-satisfaction through social connectedness and social support, as well as decreased depressive symptoms through self-stigma. These findings suggest that different dimensions of social identification can both harm and help well-being in the group of people with depression. Keywords: Social identification, identity solidarity, identity centrality, depression, well-being, stigma, path analysis

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Koc, Y.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	11 Jul 2022 08:57
Last Modified:	11 Jul 2022 08:57
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/851

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