Los Angeles, CA (December 15, 2010) Being a part of many
different social groups can improve mental health and help a
person cope with stressful events. It also leads to better
physical health, making you more able to withstand—and recover
faster from—physical challenges, according to a study in the
current Social Psychological and Personality Science (published
by SAGE). Belonging to groups, such as networks of friends,
family, clubs and sport teams, improves mental health because
groups provide support, help you to feel good about yourself and
keep you active. But belonging to many different groups might
also help to make you psychologically and physically stronger.
People with multiple group memberships cope better when faced
with stressful situations such as recovering from stroke and are
even more likely to stay cold-free when exposed to the cold
virus. Researchers Janelle Jones and Jolanda Jetten of the
University of Queensland were interested in how group
memberships might give people the resilience to