Our Work
The following publications on social identity and health have been authored by members of our research team:
Wakefield, J. R.H., Sani, F., & Herrera, M. (2018). Greater university identification—But not greater contact—Leads to more life satisfaction: Evidence from a Spanish longitudinal study. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being. DOI:
Cruwys, T., Wakefield, J. R. H., Sani, F., Dingle, G. A., & Jetten, J. (2018). Social isolation predicts frequent attendance in primary care. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kax054.
Wakefield, J. R. H., Sani, F., Madhok, V., Norbury, M., Dugard, P., Gabbanelli, C., Arnetoli, M., Beconcini, G., Botindari, L., Grifoni, F., Paoli, P., & Poggesi, F. (2016). The relationship between group identification and satisfaction with life in a cross-cultural community sample. Journal of Happiness Studies. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Wakefield, J. R. H., Sani, F., Herrera, M., Khan, S. S., & Dugard, P. (2016). Greater family identification—but not greater contact with family members—leads to better health: Evidence from a Spanish longitudinal study. Eouropean Journal of Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2171. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Miller, K., Wakefield, J. R. H., & Sani, F. (2015). Identification with social groups is associated with mental health in adolescents: Evidence from a Scottish community sample. Psychiatry Research, 228(3), 340-346. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.088. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Wakefield, J. R. H., Sani, F., Madhok, V., Norbury, M., & Dugard, P. (2015). The pain of low status: The relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and analgesic prescriptions in a Scottish community sample. Psychology, Health & Medicine. DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2015.1009377. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Sani, F., Madhok, V., Norbury, M., Dugard, P., & Wakefield, J. R. H. (2015).Greater number of group identifications is associated with lower odds of being depressed: Evidence from a Scottish community sample. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-015-1076-4. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Sani, F., Madhok, V., Norbury, M., Dugard, P., & Wakefield, J. R. H. (2015). Greater number of group identifications is associated with healthier behaviour: Evidence from a Scottish community sample. British Journal of Health Psychology. DOI:10.1111/bjhp.12119. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Wakefield, J. R. H., Bickley, S., & Sani, F. (2013). The effects of identification with a support group on the mental health of people with Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74(5), 420-426. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.02.002. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Wakefield, J. R. H., Bickley, S., & Sani, F. (2013). A reply to Gallacher, O'Donnell, Minescu, & Muldoon's commentary on 'The effects of identification with a support group on the mental health of people with multiple sclerosis'. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 75(3), 295. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.07.005.
Sani, F., Herrera, M., Wakefield, J. R. H., Boroch, O., & Gulyas, C. (2012). Comparing social contact and group identification as predictors of mental health. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 781-790. DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8309.2012.02101.x. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Sani, F. (2012). Group identification, social relationships, and health. In J. Jetten, C. Haslam & S. A. Haslam (Eds.). The social cure: Identity, health, and well-being (pp. 21-37). New York: Psychology Press.
Sani, F., Magrin, M. E., Scrignaro, M., & McCollum, R. (2010). In-group identification mediates the effects of subjective in-group status on mental health. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49(4), 883-893.DOI: 10.1348/014466610X517414. To view a poster summarising this paper, please visit our Research Summaries page.
Other Work
For a review of the literature, see: Jetten J., Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., Dingle, G., & Jones, J. M. (2014). How groups affect our health and well-being: The path from theory to policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 8(1), 103-130. DOI: 10.1111/sipr.12003.
For a general introduction to the relationships between social identity and health, see: Jetten, J., Haslam, C., & Haslam, S. A. (2012). The social cure: Identity, health, and well-being. New York: Psychology Press.
For an insight into more specific research agendas within the topic of social identity and health, see the Applied Psychology Special Issue: Social identity, Health and well-being, edited by Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., Postmes, T., & Haslam, C. (2009), 58(1). DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-0597.2008.00379.x.
For a general review of more traditional – especially social epidemiological – research into social ties and health, see: Uchino, B. N. (2004). Social support and physical health: Understanding the health consequences of relationships. London: Yale University Press.
The first large prospective study on the relationships between social ties, health, and mortality: Berkman, L. F., & Syme, L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 109, 186-204. URL:aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/109/2/186.short.
A seminal paper in the field of social ties and health: Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Skoner, D. P., Rabin, B. S., & Gwaltney, J. M. (1997). Social ties and susceptibility to the common cold. Journal of the American Medical Association, 277(24), 1940-1944. DOI: 10.1001/jama.1997.03540480040036.
For a very readable introduction to the connections between mental states and physical health, see Martin, P. (1998). The Sickening Mind: Brain, Behaviour, Immunity and Disease. London: Flamingo.
