The Social Cure: Identity Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

Reviews the book, The Social Cure: Identity Health and Wellbeing edited by Jolanda Jetten, Catherine Haslam, and S. Alexander Haslam (see record 2011-21215-000). The book shows that the metaphor does not adequately describe the extent of this body of research and the degree to which it is understated in everyday practice. The book suggests that most members of society find the third bridging concept in a range of diverse social networks: family, friends, schools, teams, organizations and community groups. The editors describe the observed void more aptly as a blind spot. The book addresses the blind spot by presenting the rationale that social isolation and loneliness can have a significant and negative impact on our health and wellbeing and shows that social relationships are just as important to our mortality as blood pressure, healthy diet, quitting smoking and physical exercise. Using a social identity approach, the book explores the unique influence of social factors on physical factors such as ageing and health, psychological factors such as wellbeing, coping, stress, and resilience, and experiential factors related to trauma, discrimination, recovery and rehabilitation. Collating a broad body of research from different perspectives, settings, populations and disciplines, the book draws an argument towards a social cure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)