Application of

Social Psychology-II UNIT 14 APPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL

PSYCHOLOGY TO HEALTH,
MENTAL HEALTH AND
WELLBEING*
Structure

14.0 Objectives
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Application of Social Psychology to Health
14.2.2 The Social Influences on Health
14.2.2 Social Norms and Social Support
14.3 Application of Social Psychology to Mental Health and Wellbeing
12.3.1 Social Structure and Mental Health
12.3.2 Social Stigma and Mental Health
14.4 Application of Social Psychology in Promoting Health and Healthy
Behaviours
14.5 Let us Sum up
14.6 References
14.7 Key Words
14.8 Answers to check your progress
14.9 Unit end Questions

14.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this Unit, you will be able to:
- discuss the role of social frameworks in health relatedbehaviours;
- examine the influence of social relationships and behaviours in individual
mental health; and
- derive ideas to plan interventions to promote healthy behaviours.

14.1 INTRODUCTION
Today we notice huge changes that have occurred in peoples lives. The way
we eat, exercise, the food we consume, the lifestyles we adopt has
tremendously changed. There are high numbers with regards to malnutrition,
smoking, alcohol consumption and an overall unhealthy lifestyle. As much as
technology and the internet are a boon to our generations, it is also proving to

*Dr. Tina D‟Cunha, SEN Inclusion Learning Mentor and Key worker.
256
 Applications of Social
be a challenge in our physical activities and consumption behaviours in Psychology to Health,
general. This, in turn, threatens our physical and mental health in way we Mental Health and
Wellbeing
most often cannot see.

In the earlier units you have read on the influence of our social world in
various aspects of our lives. In the current chapter we will highlight the role
of social psychology and its application in health and mental health areas.

14.2 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HEALTH

The term health has been derived from an old English word „Hoelth‟,
meaning „the state or condition of being whole or sound‟ (Melquiades, 2015,
page 3 ).

The Constitution of World Health Organisation (WHO) in the year 1946,

came up with a definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
Later in its 1998 constitution, WHO again modified its definition and defined
health as “a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

The key points of definition of health include the following

- health is not denoted by absence of disease of symptoms.
- the nature of health is dynamic.
- health encompasses physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.
Health is thus a combination of these dimensions.

Thus, health can be explained in terms of presence of wellbeing and not the
absence of illnesses.

As the concept of health is clear, let us now focus on how principles of social
psychology play a role in health.

14.2.1 The Social Influences on Health

We know that good health matters not only to individuals but to society at
large as well. It is also, however, true that not everyone has the same
opportunities to live healthy lives. There are varied social factors that
influence our health relatedbehaviours.
- Our social surroundings: Health is greatly influenced by things around
us and the opportunities they create for us. For instance we need to have an
understanding of whether the places we live in or have access to allow us
to be more physically active, feel secure, have facilities to socialize, play
and stay active. These opportunities can be encouraging and push people
towards being active and healthy. In a study by Livington et. al. (2017)
nine key factors of dementia were identified. Among these were social
isolation, physical inactivity and other associated diseases like Type 2
diabetes. Researchers suggested that these can be prevented if there are 257
Application of factors in the wider environment that encompass physical activity and an
Social Psychology-II
opportunity to socialise.
- Housing Conditions: Our homes provide more than just physical shelter
to us. They act as units where we socialise with family and friends. Our
houses are places where we spend most of our time. How does housing
contribute to our health? A warm/ clean home provides a feeling of safety
and security while living in crowded, unhealthy households can result in
stress, anxiety and overall poor health. A socially secure neighbourhood
and connected services to housing can promote healthy behaviours.
- The food we eat: You must be wondering how this one becomes a social
influence. Food is vital for our health. Today, however, we have two
sections of people in society. One group which has access to all types of
food and do not have limits or control and thereby tend to have obesity
related conditions and another group of people who may know very well
what is important for their bodies but cannot afford basic meals and so
experience hunger and related conditions. The economic and social factors
usually determine what food people can afford inorder to live healthy
lives. Another social perspective to the food we eat is a reflection of
culture that we belong to. The nutritional value of the food we eat in our
cultures requires to help our bodily nutritional needs and keep us healthy.
- Transport: Transport systems connect us. It provides access to jobs,
markets and goods, education, social groups and networks and helps in
building healthy and fulfilled lives. Busses, trains, cycling, driving are
transport options which connect people to various resources. Having well
designed and accessible transport facilities reduces social isolation and
allows people to get food, medicine and social contact that are crucial
health determinants. Making streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists can
also provide people opportunities to walk or cycle to places rather than use
vehicles always thereby protecting the environment and also encouraging
physical activity.
- Family, friends and social communication: We humans need to feel a
sense of belongingness deeply. A warm, supportive family, a friendly
neighbourhood, people greeting each other on the streets makes one feel a
part of the community they live in. Community participation also provides
with a sense of empowerment by being a part of positive networks and
relationships. This community empowerment address a lot of health
inequalities and provides support to care for and support each other.

14.2.2 Social Norms and Social Support

In the health domain we are all aware of the role of health workers. They
work tirelessly with patients in diagnosing, treatment and after treatment
care. These health workers have their medical knowledge set but what is
challenging for each of them is to execute their roles to each of their patients.
258 Each patient having varied background, socio-cultural setup, lifestyle,
 Applications of Social
thought and behavior patterns among other factors. If you examine that Psychology to Health,
perspective it is of importance to note that these professionals function a lot Mental Health and
Wellbeing
on social norms and conduct along with their professional roles. Thus, social
psychologists have laid emphasis on the role of social norms in forming
health related ideologies in the community. The patients carry these
ideologies and so it sometimes could pose a challenge to health professionals
to encourage and promote healthy behaviours.

Most often one of the core challenges faced in the health sector is behavior
change in the target population. As seen in previous unit, each community or
social group has its implicit and explicit social norms and frameworks and
these explain the values, beliefs and behaviours of communities. The
ideologies of a close knit rural community is more based on their reliance on
nature and natural remedies for cure as compared to the people living in more
individual setups in cities relying on science and doctors for medical
treatment. These ways of life could also determine how health policies and
behavior changes will be accepted and practiced by communities.

The social norms approach is well known and accepted as an intervention

strategy that promotes positive health related behaviours. According to this
approach individuals perceive/misperceive the behaviours and attitudes of
their peers. They also seek peer approval for a range of their own positive and
negative behaviours. The higher the misperceptions, the greater the chances
of engaging in unhealthy behaviours such as over-consumption of alcohol,
smoking, unhealthy eating etc. This approach is widely used today in
promoting healthy behaviours.

Alongside, the role of social support is also gaining a lot of attention in health
related research. We are aware that people are always surrounded by others in
their own networks. Research (Antonucci, 2001) indicates that family and
friends are especially effective in providing and receiving social support. The
same researcher in 1990 had also found that women provide more support,
have more frequent contact with networks, are more satisfied having friends
around and have more multifaceted social networks compared to men.

In a study by Campbell et. al. (2000), a group of African-American church

members participated in a four year nutritional intervention research. They
found that church members were more successful at increasing their fruit and
vegetable intake when they felt a part of the close-knit congregation than
those who were less successful at changing to a healthier diet. Allgower et.
al. (2001) found that low social support was also related to sedentary
behaviors, irregular sleep and increased alcohol consumption in his study
with university students.

Berkman and Glass (2000) indicated a conceptual model of the role of social
support on health. They suggested that the effect of social support is a
multilevel process starting with the larger social context that shape our social

259
Application of networks. These social networks, in turn, influence our health through social
Social Psychology-II
support and social influence.

Gallant et. al. (2007) highlight that physical activity is easier when an
individual has a friend or relative to exercise with. These occasions also
provide opportunities for companionship and recreation.

These findings indicate that health does have a strong connection with a
persons social network. Lifestyles are usually a consequence of socially
constructed choices and hence interventions can focus on social norms and
social networks aiming to facilitate healthy behavior.

Check Your Progress I

1) How do housing conditions influence our health?

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2) State some healthy behaviours people of any age can follow?

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14.3 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL

HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Good health is, both, physical and mental wellbeing. Our emotional,
psychological and social health influences our physical health and vice versa.
Our mental health affects and influences how we think, feel, act, relate to
others and make choices.

Before we go on to explain how social psychology can be applied to mental

health and wellbeing, let us look at the concepts of mental health and
wellbeing.

The WHO defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the

individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses
of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
260 contribution to his or her community”. Thus, it is not denoted by absence of
 Applications of Social
mental illness or disorders but presence of psychological wellbeing. Thus, the Psychology to Health,
terms mental health and wellbeing are related to each other. Mental Health and
Wellbeing
According to Shin and Johnson (1978, page 478) “wellbeing is a global
assessment of a person’s quality of life according to his own chosen criteria”.
Shah and Marks (2004, page 2) explained that “well-being is more than just
happiness. As well as feeling satisfied and happy, well-being means
developing as a person, being fulfilled, and making a contribution to the
community.

The concept of wellbeing can be related with the concepts of mental health,
life satisfaction, and happiness. It mainly refers to the subjective feelings that
include and evaluation of cognitive and affective life aspects that get affected
directly or indirectly by disease and illness. It includes an evaluation of sense
of happiness, contentment and belongingness as well as achievement and of
being without distress and discomfort (Dalal and Misra, 2006). Wellbeing
can be categorised as subjective wellbeing and objective wellbeing.
“Subjective well-being consists of three interrelated components: life
satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect. Affect refers to pleasant
and unpleasant moods and emotions, whereas life satisfaction refers to a
cognitive sense of satisfaction with life” (Diener and Suh, 1997, page 200).
And objective wellbeing denotes whether the basic needs to the individuals
are met or not and it is measures using objective measures like mortality rate
etc. Wellbeing can also be categorised in to emotional wellbeing, physical
wellbeing, social wellbeing, workplace wellbeing and societal wellbeing
(Davis, 2019).

Emotional wellbeing can be described as ability of an individual to

adequately manage stress, display resilience and display positive emotions.
Physical well-being is denoted by improvement in one‟s bodily functioning
by having a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating healthy. Social
wellbeing can be explained as effective communication and ability to develop
relationships and having adequate social support. Workplace wellbeing is
ability of an individual to develop in his/ her profession and pursue one‟s
interest, values and gain meaning and happiness. And societal wellbeing can
be explained as active participation in community and environment related
activities.

Mental health concerns are usually caused by sudden occurrences of major

life events or by intense and unpleasant emotional experiences that have been
present in ones life. One of the key factors (just like in physical health) is
social support. Social support is when individuals perceive or receive
material, emotional, spiritual support from individuals or groups. This can
promote empathy, attention, emotional stability, trust and most importantly a
sense of belonging. It can enhance a sense of protection and reduce a persons
psychological stress. We will discuss three aspects of social life and mental
health.
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Application of 14.3.1 Social Structure and Mental Health
Social Psychology-II

Does social structure have any influence on our physical wellbeing and
mental health? We are aware of the role of social support and now we will
delve into the influence of social structure. There is a relationship between
aspects of social structure like socio-economic-status, gender, race,
occupation and an individual‟s behavior patterns. In this section we will
focus on 3 social structural variables:
- Social position and mental health: One‟s mental health is determined by
a wide range of factors including personal factors like genetics, lifestyle,
education as well as social factors like family structure, peers etc. There
has been recognition of the importance of socio-economic determinants of
mental health as well as the socio-economic inequalities in mental health.
According to the World Health Organization there is a universal
association between poverty and mental health. Picket et. al. (2006)
indicate that greater the gap between the rich and the poor, the greater the
differences in mental health. For example, one possible indicator for such
inequality could be self assessment for one‟s health for which education
plays a crucial role.

The social-causation hypothesis states that the stress associated with a

low social position contributes to the development of mental disorders.
This could be as a result of socio-economic deprivation. On the other
hand, the social selection hypothesis assumes that people with mental
health problems drift downwards in their socio-economic position
because of their mental health problems and also their inability to
achieve expected role obligations.
- Social stressors and mental health: There exist numerous social stressors
that can have detrimental effects on our mental health. Traumatic life
events, gender discrimination, social position, inequality, prejudice and
discrimination just a few to mention. People in society experience deep
frustrations due to restricted opportunities for education, employment and
overall social advancement. Such stressors lead to distress. Psychological
disorders like depression and anxiety are often associated with negative
social interactions, overcrowding, lack of social support, migration etc.
Such experiences tend to have less access to favourable economic, social
and environmental conditions through life and also have minimal support
facilities. Such difficulties could be present before birth and thereby
accumulate over a lifetime making them vulnerable in adulthood.

The effects of these stressors can usually be buffered along ones life by
providing love, support and stable relationships with others. Encouraging
positive beliefs related to optimism, self esteem and a sense of control
can help in managing the effects of social stressors on mental health.

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 Applications of Social
14.3.2 Social Stigma and Mental Health Psychology to Health,
Mental Health and
WHO indicates that mental and behavioural health conditions affect a Wellbeing
considerable number of the world population. There are several reasons for
these, a few of which we have discussed in the previous section. It has also
been noted that there are two critical explanations for this.
- Those with mental health conditions may be so disabled by their condition
that they may not be able to seek treatment.
- These people may not be able to identify their own condition and therefor
do not seek services available.

Besides these a key factor of social stigma may also interfere in the lives of
individuals with mental health concerns. Social stigma is a structural aspect
in society which means that it is a belief held by a large section of society and
where stigmatised persons are considered less equal or part of an inferior
group. Stigma is embedded in the social framework and creates inferiority.

Social psychologists often suggest three specific models of stigmatisation.

- Socio-cultural model which suggests that stigma develops inorder to
justify social injustice. For example, labelling individuals with mental or
behavioural illnesses as unequal.
- The motivational model which focusses on the basic psychological needs
of an individual. For example, persons with mental illness coming from
lower socio-economic groups are inferior thereby disregarding the persons
need for having a good social position.
- The social-cognitive model which attempts to make sense of the basic
society using a cognitive framework, such that a person with a mental
illness would be labelled in one category and differentiated from non-ill
persons.

The stereotyping of mental illness affects societies at large. People with

mental health concerns can have problems finding work, being in steady and
long term relationships, living in decent housing and being included in the
mainstream society. Social isolation, unemployment and poverty are all
linked to mental illness and therefor social stigma and discrimination can put
people in a trap of a cycle of illnesses.

Besides social stigma, Crocker (1999) demonstrates a concept of self stigma

which is stigma internalised by the person about his/her condition. The
continuous effect of self stigma can make an individual feel guilty and
inadequate about their own condition. In self stigma, the knowledge that
stigma is present in society can have an impact on an individual even if the
person has not been directly stigmatised. This can affect the person‟s self
esteem, self efficacy and can directly alter their behavior.

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Application of An important way to do away with stigmatisation is by educating individuals
Social Psychology-II
that have an opportunity to make a difference – through social work
education. Policy makers can also advocate to include strategies to mitigate
stigma.

Mental health concerns are present across the world. The number of persons
affected could continue to grow. Individuals who receive treatment do not
always continue to remains in care once they begin. The WHO (2001) has
suggested that stigma could be one of the largest barriers to following of
treatment for patients.

Check Your Progress II

1) State two social stressors.

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2) What is self stigma?

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14.4 APPLICATION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

TO PROMOTING HEALTH AND HEALTHY
BEHAVIOURS
The principles of social psychology can be applied not only to understand the
health relatedbehaviours but also to promote such behaviours.

Individuals often know that consumption of junk food can have a negative
impact on one‟s health. But they still consume junk food on regular basis.
The same is true with smoking as well and various other health behaviours. It
can be said that healthy practices, lifestyle and attitudes can go a long way in
ensuring positive health and wellbeing of an individual. Thus, in order to
promote health we need to focus on the relationship between health
behaviour and health related attitudes.
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 Applications of Social
Some of the beliefs that are relevant in the context of relationship between Psychology to Health,
health behaviours and health related attitudes (Sears, Peplau and Taylor, Mental Health and
Wellbeing
1991) are:
- Values with regard to general health, that is the interest and concern that
the individual has with regard to the health.
- Danger and threats to health, denoting the severity of the disease/ disorder
and its threat
- Individual vulnerability to the disease or disorder, denoting how
vulnerable he/ she thinks he/ she is to the disease or disorder.
- Individual‟s self efficacy (confidence about one‟s ability) for dealing the
the threat of the disease or disorder.
- Response efficacy denoting whether the efforts taken by the individual for
dealing with the illness will lead to outcomes desired by him/ her.

When our objective is promoting health, one of the important aspects that we
need to focus on is awareness. That is how aware the people are with regard
to health related issues. What is their knowledge, attitude and practices? This
is important because, based on thissuitable intervention or awareness
programme can be developed and implemented. However, before that is
done, we also need suitable tools to measure the health related knowledge,
attitude and practices amongst the individuals. One such scale is Health
Modernity Scale by A. K. Singh. Health Modernity can be defined as
“Scientifically correct information, attitudes and behaviour in relation to
physical and mental health, diet and nutrition, family planning and child-care
including breast feeding, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation and
such other issues which are essential pre-requisites for healthy living and,
therefore, for human and social development” (A. K. Singh, 1983). The scale
constitutes ten dimensions, namely, Physical Health, Mental Health,
Nutrition and Diet, Family Planning, Child Care, Breast Feeding, Mental
Retardation, Attitudes towards Females, Cancer, and AIDS. With the help
such scales and other tools misconception and ignorance can be identified
and accordingly a suitable intervention strategy or awareness programmes
can be developed. Further, while dealing with any issue or problem, we need
to deal with it at different levels, like, individual level, family level,
community level, national and international level. So that the issue/problem
is dealt with at every level.

In this context we also need to focus on few models that can be utilised to
bring about health related changes in health relatedbehaviour. Some of these
models are discussed as follows:
- Health Belief Model: According to this model the health relatedbehaviour
displayed by an individual will depend on:

a) His/ her perceived vulnerability/ susceptibility to the illness,

265
Application of b) The severity of the illness as perceived by the individual,
Social Psychology-II

c) The benefits of health behaviour as perceived by the individual, that

is, whether the perceived vulnerability/ susceptibility will decrease if
the health relatedbehaviour is followed,

d) And lastly, the perception with regard to barriers or obstacles

regarding the health relatedbehaviour.
- Theory of Planned Behaviour: This theory was proposed by Ajzen and it
mainly highlights behaviour intentions of an individual that can play a role
in health relatedbehaviours. And behaviour intentions can be determined
by attitude towards behaviour. And attitude towards behaviour is
determined by

a) The beliefs and evaluation related to outcome of following certain

health related behavior,

b) Subjective norms, that denotes the belief related to the expectations

of significant others,

c) And the motivation of individual to follow the health

relatedbehaviour.
- Stages of Change Model: This model was proposed by Prochaska and
Diclemente. The stages in this model are described as follows:

Stage 1: Precontemplation (the individual does not intent change the

behaviour).

Stage 2: Contemplation ( realisation and contemplation regarding need to

change the behaviour)

Stage 3: Preparation (steps and measure ti change behaviour)

Stage 4: Action (bringing about change in behaviour)

Stage 5: Maintenance (maintaining the changed behaviour)

Based on the models discussed above various intervention strategies can be

developed in order to promote health and healthy behaviours amongst the
individuals. These interventions can also be evaluated and further improved.

Researchers and health care professionals highlight healthy habits that define
healthy lifestyles. These include a healthy diet (intake of vegetables, fruits,
wholegrain, healthy fats and avoiding unhealthy processed foods, transfats
etc.), physical activity (atleast 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous
activity), healthy body weight (maintaining a normal BMI), no smoking and
moderate alcohol intake among others. Healthy habits make a huge difference
to ones life.

Individual human beings as well as the society as a whole have to maintain

266 and improve health and wellbeing. Healthy behaviours across the lifespan
 Applications of Social
indicate a great investment in ones health for a long term. One‟s experiences, Psychology to Health,
behaviours and childhood habits shape the long term outcomes. These are Mental Health and
Wellbeing
inturn supported and shaped by our environment and social networks.

Overall, no matter what age or culture we belong to, we must eat healthy and
have habits that sustain good health. Eating healthy meals, staying physically
active, prioritising happiness, nurturing your social network, being more
conscientious and having good sleep habits are keys to good health and
wellbeing.

Social psychology can play an important role in promoting healthy lifestyle

as certain intervention strategies can be developed that can be used in order to
create awareness and also promote certain health behaviours

Check Your Progress III

1) List the stages in change model.

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14.5 LET US SUM UP

As much as technology and the internet are a boon to our generations, it is
also proving to be a challenge in our physical activities and consumption
behaviors in general. This, in turn, threatens our physical and mental health
in way we most often cannot see.

In the current chapter we have highlighted the role of social psychology and
its aspects in our Health and Mental health areas. Various influences on
health are discussed with an emphasis on social support as a key factor.

Our health does also have a strong connection with a persons social network.
Lifestyles are usually a consequence of socially constructed choices and
hence interventions can focus on social norms and social networks aiming to
facilitate healthy behavior.

No matter what age or culture we belong to, we must eat healthy and have
habits that sustain good health. Eating healthy meals, staying physically
active, prioritizing happiness, nurturing your social network, being more
conscientious and having good sleep habits are keys to good health and
wellbeing.

267
Application of
Social Psychology-II 14.6 REFERENCES
Allgöwer, A., Wardle, J., Steptoe, A. (2001). Depressive symptoms, social
support, and personal health behaviors in young men and women. Health
Psychology, 20(3), 223-227.

Antonucci, T. C. (1990). Social supports and social relationships. In:

Binstock R, George LK, editors. Handbook of aging and social sciences. 3rd
ed. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 205–226.

Bartholomew, L. K., Parcel, G. S., Kok, G., Gottlieb, N. H., and Fernández,
M. E. (2011). Planning health promotion programs: An Intervention Mapping
approach (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Berkman, L. F., Glass, T. (2000). Social integration, social networks, social

support, and health. In: Berkman LF, Kawachi I, Social epidemiology.
Oxford, UK: Oxford Press University, 2000, 137–173.

Campbell, M. K., Motsinger, B. M., Ingram, A., Jewell, D., Makarushka, C.,
Beatty, B. Dodds, J., McClelland, J., Demissie, S., Demark-Wahnefried, W.
(2000). The North Carolina Black Churches United for Better Health Project:
Intervention and process evaluation. Health Education and Behavior, 27(2),
241-53.

Crocker, J. (1999). Social stigma and self-esteem: Situational construction of

self-worth. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35, 89–107.

Gallant, M. P., Spitze, G. D., Prohaska, T. R. (2007). Help or hindrance?

How family and friends influence chronic illness self-management among
older adults. Research on Aging, 29(5), 375–409.

Kok,G., Schaalma, H., De Vries, H., Parcel, G., and Paulussen, T. (1996).
Social psychology and health education. In W. Stroebe and M. Hewstone
(Eds.), European Review of Social Psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 241-282).
Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Picket, K., Oliver, J., Wilkinson, R. (2006). Income inequality and the
prevalence of mental illness: a preliminary international analysis. Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health, 60, 646-647.
10.1136/jech.2006.046631.

Shaikh, A. R., Yaroch, A. L., Nebeling, L., Yeh, M. C., Resnicow, K. (2008).
Psychosocial predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption in adults a review
of the literature. American Journal of Preventive Medicine,34(6), 535-543.

Shetgovekar, S. (2018). An Introduction to Social Psychology. Sage: Delhi.

WHO: Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, Emerging Evidence, Practice:

Summary Report/A Report from the World Health Organization, Department
of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the Victorian
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Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and the University of Melbourne. Psychology to Health,
2004, Geneva: World Health Organization Mental Health and
Wellbeing
World Health Organization, WHO. World Health Report 2001. Mental
health: new understanding, new hope. WHO: Geneva, Switzerland; 2001.

14.7 KEY WORDS

Social stigma: Social stigma is a structural aspect in society which means
that it is a belief held by a large section of society and where stigmatised
persons are considered less equal or part of an inferior group.

Self stigma: Self stigma is stigma internalised by the person about his/her
condition.

Prejudice: Prejudice is an affective feeling towards a person based on their

perceived social membership. It refers to preconceived, often unfavourable,
evaluation of another person based on gender, beliefs, social class, disability,
race/ethnicity etc. (Dovidio, 2010).

Community: Community is „the people living in one particular area or

people who are considered as an unit because of their common interest, social
group or nationality.

14.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check Your Progress I

1) How do housing conditions influence our health?

A warm/ clean home provides a feeling of safety and security while

living in crowded, unhealthy households can result in stress, anxiety and
overall poor health. A socially secure neighbourhood and connected
services to housing can promote healthy behaviours.

2) State some healthy behaviours people of any age can follow?

A healthy diet (intake of vegetables, fruits, wholegrain, healthy fats and

avoiding unhealthy processed foods, transfats etc.), physical activity
(atleast 30 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity), healthy
body weight (maintaining a normal BMI), no smoking and moderate
alcohol intake

Check Your Progress II

1) State any two social stressors.

Traumatic life events and gender discrimination, are two social stress

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Application of 2) What is self stigma?
Social Psychology-II

Stigma internalised by the person about his/her condition is termed as

social stigma.

Check Your Progress III

1) List the stages in change model.

- The stages in change model are described as follows:
Stage 1: Precontemplation (the individual does not intent change the
behaviour).

Stage 2: Contemplation ( realisation and contemplation regarding

need to change the behaviour)

Stage 3: Preparation (steps and measure ti change behaviour)

Stage 4: Action (bringing about change in behaviour)

Stage 5: Maintenance (maintaining the changed behaviour)

14.9 UNIT END QUESTIONS

1) How does social support influence human health?
2) What role does transport facilities play in health relatedbehaviours?
3) Explain how social stressors influence mental health.
4) What is the role of stigma in mental health?
5) Describe how social psychology can be applied to promoting health and
healthy behaviours.

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 Applications of Social
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