Abstract:

In recent years, the relationship between group identification and individual mental health has attracted the attention of researchers. Through referring to the relevant literatures, we demonstrate that identification with different types of groups, including nations, countries, schools or families, and number of identified groups are significantly associated with individuals’ mental health. On the one hand, motivation to identify with groups and group evaluation moderate the association between group identification and individuals’ mental health. On the other hand, the relationship between group identification and individuals’ mental health are mediated by self-esteem, social support, perceived personal control and attribution styles. In the future, multiple methods should be used in the further study on moderating variables and mechanisms for the relationship between group identification and individual mental health.

Key words: group identification, mental health, moderating variables, mechanisms