The Social Cure: Identity, Health and Well-Being

Meeting its objectives to educate and inspire, the book would appeal to researchers, academics, practitioners and anyone wishing to further understand the importance of belonging to social groups. - Kelly O'Brien, Toorak College and the University of Melbourne, Australia, in The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist

Covering an eclectic set of topics, from work-stress to brain injury, from a variety of professional perspectives, [The Social Cure] is clearly written and well-structured ... [and] should prove intriguing and informative for academic researchers, healthcare professionals and policy makers. - Wendy Cousins, University of Ulster, UK, in The Psychologist

That social context has powerful, manifold effects on individual and community well-being is now widely recognized across disciplinary and ideological boundaries. The Social Cure provides an impressive and diverse array of empirical evidence showing how pervasive these effects are. The incisive conclusion is packed with insights into the implications of this research for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in many fields. Let's hope that these lessons are widely heeded. - Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, USA

For decades, we have known that social groups and networks influence health outcomes. This wonderfully lucid, insightful book explains how, and why. What is more, it suggests ways we can use this knowledge to improve health and well-being. It is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. - Deborah Prentice, Professor of Psychology, Princeton University, USA

This volume does an excellent job at integrating different perspectives on the complex relationship between identity and health. It assesses the risks and resources associated with social identities and outlines concrete interventions that take advantage of these insights. It is an invaluable resource for all those interested in health issues in psychology. - Naomi Ellemers, Professor of Social Psychology of Organisations, Leiden University, The Netherlands

This educative, wideranging and informative book argues that participation in social groups improves mental health and well being. While neuropsychologists may be most interested in the four chapters that are directly concerned with neurologically impaired people, the remaining chapters will inform them of the benefits of groups in other areas such as survivors of disasters, rape victims and concentration camp survivors. - Barbara Wilson, The Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, Ely, UK