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How does higher in‐group social value lead to positive mental health? An integrated model of in‐group identification and support
Author(s) -
Nakashima Ken'ichiro,
Isobe Chikae,
Ura Mitsuhiro
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asian journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-839X
pISSN - 1367-2223
DOI - 10.1111/ajsp.12031
Subject(s) - psychology , mental health , identification (biology) , social support , value (mathematics) , social psychology , perception , clinical psychology , group (periodic table) , group identification , depression (economics) , psychiatry , chemistry , botany , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , machine learning , neuroscience , computer science , economics , biology
Previous research has indicated that the effects of in‐group social value on mental health are mediated by the extent to which individuals identify with their in‐group. Other research has shown that in‐group identification leads to positive mental health because it provides in‐group members with a psychological basis for social support. We examine how the individual's perception of the social value of the in‐group leads to positive mental health, integrating the effects of identification with and support from the in‐group. As predicted, the relationship between higher social value and decreased mental health (e.g. depression, perceived stressful events) is mediated by higher in‐group identification, which in turn leads the members to expect support from the in‐group but not the out‐group. An integrated model of the effects of perceived in‐group social value, identification, and support on mental health is proposed, and the implications are discussed.