There are four discrete work packages associated with this project.
The first and second work package examines the impact of group and identities on physiological markers of stress. To date we have achieved this objectives in two ways. We have conducted analysis, known as secondary analysis on existing large data sets. These analyses have shown that multiple group membership (Gallagher et al, 2021), community integration (McMahon, 2022), religious group membership (McMahon, under review) impact on allostatic load, cardiovascular reactivity and immune responses to vaccine. In an unanticipated finding we also found evidence that economic inequality had all the hallmarks of stress, and as such had an impact on cardiac reactivity (Ryan et al., 2022). Though delayed by COVID and we have now started experimental studies where we are directly exploring the impact of identities groups on markers of stress such as cortisol and cardiac output in the lab. To date we have published one pilot study that attempts to examine the role of positionality or status on cardiovascular reactivity (McMahon et al., 2023). Additional studies are in train examining the impact of identity salience, identification and disidentification on responses to stress in those affected and unaffected by prior trauma.
Work package 2 is the most ethically and practically complicated element of our work. It involves tracking people who are participating in support groups. This work was affected by the suspension of face to face supports across Ireland during the Covid 19 pandemic. During this time, there were very few services offering group-based supports and it took some time for this to come back on stream. We used this time to develop our protocol fully, secure ethical approval and review the literature. The literature review allowed us to develop two systematic review protocols one of which is now published (Griffin et al., 2023). These are important contributions drawing together the current state of the art in this field. In an entirely new line of research that arose from these reviews, we have also begun to explore the role of disidentification processes, the active rejection of the group, on health (Lashkay et al., 2023) Our empirical work is now also underway. We have completed one paper that has examined the role of identity resources in determining physiological indicators of health in students making the transition to University during COVID times. The paper is now under review (Griffin et al., under review).
Work package 3 is concerned with post traumatic growth. A key idea already evidenced is that traumatic experiences can have positive consequences for both the self and the group, if people have access to social identity resources. Our first paper evidencing this effect has been published showing that multiple group memberships can be a platform for individual post traumatic growth in people affected by brain injury (Griffin et al 2022). A second paper using qualitative accounts offers preliminary evidence of collective post traumatic growth in rape survivors (Muldoon et al., 2023).
A book with Cambridge University press outlining the theoretical integration of the ideas relating to the project is planned and is anticipated will be completed and published in 2024/5.
