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Sweet as Sugar—How Shared Social Identities Help Patients in Coping with Diabetes Mellitus

Author

Listed:
  • Svenja B. Frenzel

    (Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany)

  • Antonia J. Kaluza

    (Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany)

  • Nina M. Junker

    (Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany
    Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway)

  • Rolf van Dick

    (Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany)

Abstract

Social identification is health-beneficial as social groups provide social support (i.e., the social cure effect). We study this social cure effect in diabetes patients by focusing on two relevant sources of social support, namely medical practitioners (MP) and fellow patients. As both groups have diabetes-specific knowledge, we predict that sharing an identity with them provides access to specific support, which, in turn, optimizes individuals’ diabetes management and reduces diabetes-related stress. We further predict that identifying with their MP or fellow patients will be more strongly related to perceived social support among individuals with lower diabetes-specific resilience because they pay more attention to supportive cues. We tested this moderated mediation model in a two-wave study with n = 200 diabetes patients. Identification with the MP related to more support, which, in turn, was related to better diabetes management and less diabetes-specific stress. Identification with fellow patients related to more support; however, social support was unrelated to diabetes management and stress. Resilience only moderated the relationship between MP identification and support, as people with lower resilience levels reported more support from their MP. This study shows the importance of social identification with the MP and other diabetes patients, especially for people with lower resilience levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Svenja B. Frenzel & Antonia J. Kaluza & Nina M. Junker & Rolf van Dick, 2022. "Sweet as Sugar—How Shared Social Identities Help Patients in Coping with Diabetes Mellitus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:17:p:10508-:d:895781
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cameron, James E. & Voth, Jennifer & Jaglal, Susan B. & Guilcher, Sara J.T. & Hawker, Gillian & Salbach, Nancy M., 2018. "“In this together”: Social identification predicts health outcomes (via self-efficacy) in a chronic disease self-management program," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 172-179.
    2. Albert Satorra & Peter Bentler, 2010. "Ensuring Positiveness of the Scaled Difference Chi-square Test Statistic," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 75(2), pages 243-248, June.
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