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The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
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Utilizing Sociocultural Identity to Cope with Poverty-Related Stress: Methodological Insights from Developing a
Adithi Rajagopalan1, Esha Vaid1, Beck Scheinberg1
1The Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Bldg, University Park, PA, USA.
Identity (Mahwah, N.J.)
|June 9, 2025
Summary
Cultural identity affirmation protects youth from stress by fostering pride and belonging. The Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills (BaSICS) program enhances mental health through identity exploration and collective action.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cultural identity affirmation, pride, and belongingness are protective factors for youth facing uncontrollable stress.
- Social identities act as crucial coping resources, promoting active coping and social support for marginalized youth.
- Existing mental health interventions often lack a focus on identity development as a protective asset.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the theory and development of the Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills (BaSICS) program.
- To outline the BaSICS program's approach to enhancing mental health by targeting identity and coping skills.
- To present the identity development and collective coping module of the BaSICS intervention.
Main Methods:
- The BaSICS program was designed to improve youth mental health by targeting protective skills, assets, and resources.
- Youth explore cultural and social identities to strengthen connections with supportive social groups.
- The intervention encourages collaborative coping skills rooted in sociocultural identities through collective community action projects.
Main Results:
- The BaSICS program's theoretical framework emphasizes identity exploration for enhanced coping.
- The program integrates cultural heritage exploration with the development of collaborative coping strategies.
- Methodological details of the identity development and collective coping module are presented.
Conclusions:
- The BaSICS program offers a novel approach to youth mental health by leveraging cultural identity.
- Strengthening identity and promoting collective coping can mitigate negative outcomes associated with stress.
- The BaSICS model provides a foundation for interventions aimed at improving resilience in marginalized youth.
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