Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom implemented physical distancing measures to minimize viral transmission, which may have adversely impacted health and wellbeing. Evidence suggests that social support may be key to mitigating against adverse health impacts of such measures, particularly when such social support is identity-based. In this longitudinal study, we examined the role of social identity and perceived social support in mental and physical health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed a survey at 4 time points during the first year of the pandemic: May/June 2020 (T1; N = 443); September/October 2020 (T2; N = 235); December 2020/January 2021 (T3; N = 243); and April 2021 (T4; N = 206). Results showed that at each time point, social support was predicted by identification with multiple groups before COVID-19, identity continuity, and identification with communities. Higher identity continuity and identification with communities both predicted greater mental and physical health at the same time point, mediated by perceived social support. Interestingly, higher identity continuity and identification with communities predicted higher social support at the same time point, which in turn predicted worse mental and physical health outcomes at the subsequent time point. Findings are discussed in relation to the context of the first year of the pandemic and the changing nature of societal restrictions across the four survey time points.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 845-865 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | British Journal of Social Psychology |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 13 Nov 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 13 Nov 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:HC, NW and DW are supported by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Units (NIHR HPRU) in Emergency Preparedness and Response, a partnership between UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), King's College London and the University of East Anglia, and the NIHR HPRU in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, a partnership between the UK Health Security Agency and the University of Bristol. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, UKHSA or the Department of Health and Social Care. All authors had full access to the data and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. No external funding organization had a role in the design; in the collection; analyses or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to publish results.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- mental health
- physical health
- social identity
- social support
