The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure

British Psychology Society Textbook of the Year 2020

Why do people who are more socially connected live longer and have better health than those who are socially isolated?

Why are social ties at least as good for your health as not smoking, having a good diet, and taking regular exercise?

Why is treatment more effective when there is an alliance between therapist and client?

Until now, researchers and practitioners have lacked a strong theoretical foundation for answering such questions. This ground-breaking book fills this gap by showing how social identity processes are key to understanding and effectively managing a broad range of health-related problems.

Integrating a wealth of evidence that the authors and colleagues around the world have built up over the last decade, The New Psychology of Health provides a powerful framework for reconceptualising the psychological dimensions of a range of conditions - including stress, trauma, ageing, depression, addiction, eating behaviour, brain injury, and pain.

Alongside reviews of current approaches to these various issues, each chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the ways in which theory and practice can be enriched by attention to social identity processes. Here the authors show not only how an array of social and structural factors shape health outcomes through their impact on group life, but also how this analysis can be harnessed to promote the delivery of 'social cures' in a range of fields.

This is a must-have volume for service providers, practitioners, students, and researchers working in a wide range of disciplines and fields, and will also be essential reading for anyone whose goal it is to improve the health and well-being of people and communities in their care.

Catherine Haslam (PhD, Australian National University) is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on the social and cognitive consequences of identity-changing life transitions (e.g., trauma, disease, ageing). She was an Associate Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (as part of its Social Interactions, Identity and Well-being Program), is an Associate Editor of the British Journal of Psychology and on the Editorial Board of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.

Jolanda Jetten (PhD, University of Amsterdam) is a Professor of Social Psychology and former Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on social identity, group processes, and intergroup relations. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles on these topics, and previously co-edited The Social Cure: Identity, Health and Well-Being (Psychology Press, 2012; with Catherine Haslam and Alex Haslam). She is a former Chief Editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology and currently Chief Editor of Social Issues and Policy Review.

Tegan Cruwys (PhD, Australian National University) is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, a practicing clinical psychologist, and a recipient of the Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Research Award. Her research investigates the social-psychological determinants of health, with a particular focus on health behaviours, mental health, and vulnerable populations.

Genevieve Dingle (PhD, University of Queensland) is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on social factors in addiction, depression, and chronic mental health problems; people experiencing homelessness; and the recovery process. She is on the Editorial Board of the British Journal of Clinical Psychology.

S. Alexander Haslam (PhD, Macquarie University) is a Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland. He is a former Chief Editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology whose research focuses on the study of group and identity processes in social, organisational, and clinical contexts. Together with colleagues he has written and edited 11 books and over 200 peer-reviewed articles on these topics, including most recently, The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence and Power (Psychology Press, 2011, with Steve Reicher and Michael Platow).