Social Psychology and Mental Health

From a psychological standpoint, social interaction is an important factor in mental health and wellness. Research by Sani et al., gives us insight on what it means to be part of a group and how those relationships affect us.

While the amount of social interaction that one gets in general - known as social integration - is an important aspect to positive mental health, group identification is even more significant (Sani et al., 2012). 

Group identification can be defined as "our subjective sense of belonging to the group and of commonality with other in-group members" (Sani et al., 2012).

Feeling as if we truly have a solid and meaningful relationship with those that we interact with - peers, coworkers, family, or friends - positively influences our mental health. It is not enough to simply know or talk to people; one must feel like he or she has common interests with and a mutual appreciation between his or her social counterparts.

Group identification can decrease stress and depression, while increasing satisfaction with life overall (Sani et al., 2012).

Social Media

Social media can play both positive and negative roles in mental health. It is common knowledge that social media leads to behaviors such as comparing oneself to another's appearance or experiences, which can either be motivating or deprecating.

Blogs, influencer pages, and group communities online can be a positive resource to teach one another about positive health habits and behaviors, both physically and mentally, and can increase one's motivation for improving these aspects of their own lives (Petkovic et al., 2021).

However, social media can be deprecating when motivation turns into comparison. Comparing your life, your body, or your achievements to that of an influencer can have a negative effect on mental health. 

Try to remember that everyone is different and has a different path! Use it as motivation to make life improvements rather than putting yourself down. 

You are unique, recognize your strengths and use them to love and appreciate yourself.

Sani, F., Herrera, M., Wakefield, J. R. H., Boroch, O., & Gulyas, C. (2012, May 2). Comparing social contact and group identification as predictors of Mental Health. British Psychological Society. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.2044-8309.2012.02101.x.

Petkovic, J., Duench, S., Trawin, J., Dewidar, O., Pardo, J. P., Simeon, R., DesMeules, M., Gagnon, D., Roberts, J. H., Hossain, A., Pottie, K., Rader, T., Tugwell, P., Yoganathan, M., Presseau, J., & Welch, V. (2021, May 31). Behavioural interventions delivered through interactive social media for Health Behaviour Change, health outcomes, and health equity in the adult population - petkovic, J - 2021: Cochrane Library. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012932.pub2/abstract.