Summary: Strong ties with family can help improve health-related behaviors, while strong ties with friends and other social groups have been associated with better mental health and overall well-being.
Source: University of Kent
The time people spend with family over the holiday season may have improved their health, according to new research that has examined how social ties with close social circles and large groups relate to psychological health and well-being.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Kent, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Coventry University, used self-reported data from more than 13,000 people in 122 countries, collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Surveys assessed the strength of people’s ties to close social circles, such as family and friends, as well as extended groups, such as country, government, and humanity. Pandemic-related health behaviors, mental health and people’s well-being were also measured.
The results show that only bonding with family, rather than with other groups, is related to positive engagement with behaviors that can improve health; in this case, examples included hand washing, wearing a mask, and social distancing.
For example, 46% of people who had strong family ties washed their hands at least “a lot,” compared to 32% who weren’t strongly related to their family. Additionally, 54% of people not related to their family reported that they have never worn a mask.
Bonded people were vastly overrepresented among those who engaged in healthy behaviors. Although people with strong family ties made up just 27% of the entire sample, they made up 73% of those who engaged in social distancing, 35% of those who washed their hands and 36% of those who wore a mask “a lot” or more.
The study also found that having strong ties to both close social circles and large groups is associated with better mental health and well-being. Importantly, the more groups people had strong ties to, the higher their involvement in healthy behaviors and the better their reported psychological well-being, with less anxiety and depression.
Research recommends that public health messages focus on smaller networks and more groups, particularly in times of crisis when people should be encouraged to share their positive health behaviors with their closest social circles.
It is also suggested that health systems could reduce reliance on pharmaceutical treatments by using social prescribing to support people who lack these connections in their lives.
The findings of the study, which included a broad range of countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil and Peru, have implications for addressing adverse effects on physical and mental health from a global perspective. The study goes beyond the remit of traditional approaches in psychology by reaching large parts of the global population.
University of Kent anthropologist Dr Martha Newson said: ‘This research speaks to the universal need to belong – this is one of the reasons why we felt it was so important to include a truly diverse sample from across the world. Wherever you are in the world, other people matter to you.
“We found that having many groups was important for encouraging better health behaviors, including bonding with abstract groups like your country or your government, but most important of all are our closest friends and family, groups that probably we have recognized as important since the beginning of human history”.
The senior lecturer in psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, Dr. Bahar Tunçgenç, added: “In times of turbulence, such as during disasters, social crises or pandemics, our social ties can be key to receiving support.
“We pay attention to the people we trust and identify with as we decide what course of action to take. That’s why our close ties to family—the people with whom many of us share significant life events and learn from—can promote healthy behaviors.
“At the same time, having strong social ties, no matter how abstract or distant they may be, is critical to promoting mental health. Our research shows that close and extended social ties offer diverse sources of support and direction.”
Dr Valerie van Mulukom, assistant professor in Coventry University’s Center for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations, said: ‘In the West, we tend to think of ourselves as individuals who must survive and conquer the world from alone.
“Our research shows that humans are actually very social animals, benefiting from and relying on their communities in more ways than one. In troubled times this is even more pronounced.
“Government policies are advised to consider these psychological needs and mechanisms and involve local authorities and grassroots organizations for maximum efficiency and well-being in times of disaster.”
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About this news about social neuroscience and health research
Author: Press office
Source: University of Kent
Contact: Press Office – University of Kent
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Original research: Free access.
“Social ties are linked to health behaviors and positive well-being globally” by Bahar Tunçgenç et al. The progress of science
Abstract
Social ties are related to health behaviors and positive well-being globally
In times of turbulence, such as during disasters, social crises or pandemics, our social ties can be vital in receiving support and gaining certainty about the right course of action.
In an analysis combining two global datasets (No = 13,264) collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examined how social ties with close social circles (e.g., family and friends) and large groups (e.g., country, government, and humanity) relate with engagement in health behaviors and psychological well-being.
Results revealed that only family bonding was associated with self-reported engagement in health behaviors.
Being strongly bonded with both close circles and large groups predicted less anxiety and depression and better well-being, particularly for those who bonded with multiple groups.
These findings highlight that close and extensive social ties offer diverse sources of support and direction during the most challenging of circumstances, and that ongoing investment is needed to forge and maintain both.