Groups 4 Health in Later Life

Abstract

Documenting the negative effects of a low connectedness is important, but the spotlight now needs to move toward understanding how social connections protect health and, in particular, how this knowledge can be harnessed to avoid the detrimental effects of loneliness and isolation. Drawing on the social identity perspective in which connection is conceptualized and measured in terms of social group membership, or more simply group ties, this article will explore the potential for group connection to be used as an essential health and well-being resource for older people. First assessing the evidence for the particular benefits of group-based connections for health, this article will then examine the mechanisms that underlie those benefits and conclude by looking at ways to harness those benefits for older adults.