Society, Culture and Health

About

The research theme blends insights from medicine, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and public health. This research theme delves into the intricate relationships among societal factors, cultural beliefs, and health outcomes. Researchers within this theme are focused on examining how social and cultural factors (such as discrimination, identity, isolation, or disadvantage) influence health behaviours, access to healthcare, and the presence of health disparities. They also study the effects of social determinants of health—such as economic status, education, and environment—on health outcomes both for individuals and across populations.

Theme Leads: Jonathan Mond and Tegan Cruwys (Interim)

Groups

A group of people standing on a hill, looking care free and happy.

Health and Identity Lab

Our research examines the ways our mental and physical health are shaped by our social relationships and social connectedness.

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Projects

A controlled trial of a novel intervention to tackle the syndemic of higher weight, weight stigma, loneliness, and mental ill-health

This controlled trial investigates the efficacy of Groups 4 Health to improve the mental health of people of higher weight through psychotherapy and behaviour change, decreasing feelings of loneliness and weight stigma through social networks.

People

Dr Fiona Tito Wheatland, Health Care Consumers Association ACT

A nuanced model of Social Self-Concept

Social identify and self concept are ways we see ourselves in relation to other people. These have important impacts on self-regard, the amount and type of social support available to us and our wellbeing and resilience under stress.

Student intake

Open for students

People

Dr Lillian Smyth

Dr Kasia Banas (University of Edinburgh), Co-investigator

ACT Wellbeing Framework: Identifying life course drivers for success through new inter-disciplinary theoretical insights and data analytic techniques

This program of research is conducted in collaboration with the ACT Government to enable evidence-based policy decision-making.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

People

Beyond directional motivated reasoning: Social identity and partisan truth

This project aims to develop and test a new model of psychological processes by which people come to understand information as true or not.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

People

Beyond taxonomy: A process driven investigation of radicalisation

This project aims to significantly deepen understanding of the phenomenon of radicalisation toward violent extremism by moving beyond static descriptions of what antecedents are present in violent extremists to dynamic causal explanations of why people radicalise.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Masters, MPhil, PhD students

People

Professor Michael Platow

Dr. Emily Corner
Dr. Helen Taylor (ANU)
Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty (University of Newcastle)

Beyond the Rural Background Effect

General Practitioners in rural NSW are invited to complete a one hour interview about their life experiences relating to being a rural general practitioner.

People

Dr Bettina Meiser, Project Officer

Articles

The team of researchers and collaborators from the Know Me Dementia Project

Knowing the person behind the dementia diagnosis

The Know Me Dementia program is evaluating if a 4 minute digital story about the life of a person living with dementia can support care staff to provide better person-centred care.

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Photo of Victoria Thomas, PhD Scholar by Dave Fanner/ANU

Injuries of the moral kind

Making tough decisions that conflict with your values can result in what psychologists call 'moral injuries'. ANU experts are working to understand this better.

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