Effects of Social Identity continuity after a major operation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Social Identity approach: Effects of multiple identities and social identity continuity on depression and social isolation
IRAS ID
157205
Contact name
Daniel Frings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London South Bank University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
The study will investigate the effects of group membership and social identity on patients going through a major life transition. In this study, the life transition will be the surgery the patient is going through. Social identity theory (SIT) was proposed by influential psychologists, Henri Tajfel and John C. Turner, to explain the sense of self is made up of their personal values and what they perceive their in-group views are.
An in-group is a group of people that they strongly believe they are a part of; for example a nurse will believe that they are a ‘nurse’ and consider everyone who is also a nurse a part of their of in-group. An out-group will be a group of people who the person perceives to be outside of their group; for example a nurse will consider a doctor as an out-group because of the whatever the differences in the groups might be (e.g. values, qualifications, social status etc). This theory forms to explain as to how an individual sees themselves in their environment and therefore their attitudes towards it. Past literature have suggested SIT is somehow related to general well-being because if compromised, it can lead to breakdown of the sense of self that the individual normally feels. Previous studies have also suggested that the number of group membership (SIT) they have before a life transition can significantly predict well-being after.
The present study looks at this effect in patients in an acute surgical ward. Patients who are electively going through a colectomy with colostomy or ileostomy formation would be eligible for this study. The study will take place at Wexham Park hospital. Participants will answer two sets of questionnaire measuring aspects of their identities. One will be administered before surgery and one after when they attend their follow-up appointment with nurses.REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1921
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion