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Cited by 525Health disparities and outcomesMental Health Treatment and AccessAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Social group memberships protect against future depression, alleviate depression symptoms and prevent depression relapse

Cruwys, Tegan, Dingle, Genevieve A., Haslam, Catherine, Haslam, S. Alexander, Jetten, Jolanda, Morton, Thomas A.·2013·Social Science & Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.013
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Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that a lack of social connectedness is strongly related to current depression and increases vulnerability to future depression. However, few studies speak to the potential benefits of fostering social connectedness among persons already depressed or to the protective properties of this for future depression trajectories. We suggest that this may be in part because connectedness tends to be understood in terms of (difficult to establish) ties to specific individuals rather than ties to social groups. The current study addresses these issues by using population data to demonstrate that the number of groups that a person belongs to is a strong predictor of subsequent depression (such that fewer groups predicts more depression), and that the unfolding benefits of social group memberships are stronger among individuals who are depressed than among those who are non-depressed. These analyses control for initial group memberships, initial depression, age, gender, socioeconomic status, subjective health status, relationship status and ethnicity, and were examined both proximally (across 2 years, N = 5055) and distally (across 4 years, N = 4087). Depressed respondents with no group memberships who joined one group reduced their risk of depression relapse by 24%; if they joined three groups their risk of relapse reduced by 63%. Together this evidence suggests that membership of social groups is both protective against developing depression and curative of existing depression. The implications of these results for public health and primary health interventions are discussed.

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Authors
Cruwys, T., Dingle, G. A., Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., & Morton, T. A.
Affiliations
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
Corresponding author
Cruwys, Tegan
ORCID
Venue
Social Science & Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-12
Volume
98
Pages
179-186
ISSN
0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.013
OpenAlex
W1974529215
Cited by
525
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 19
FWCI
29.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Aging in the United States
  • consortium of UK government departments co-ordinated by the Office for National Statistics
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
social group membership, depression, depression relapse, social connectedness, social ties, protective factors, depression prevention, social networks
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Depression, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Secondary Prevention, Social Participation

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