Crystal La Rue
@uq.edu.au
School of Pscyhology
The University of Queensland
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Social Psychology, Health (social science), Health (social science)
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Catherine Haslam, Chloe McAulay, Dean Cooper, Niels Mertens, Pete Coffee, Chris Hartley, Tarli Young, Crystal J. La Rue, S. Alexander Haslam, Niklas K. Steffens,et al.
Elsevier BV
Crystal J. La Rue, Niklas K. Steffens, Belén Álvarez Werth, Sarah V. Bentley, and Catherine Haslam
Wiley
AbstractPositive experiences of groups (e.g., the extent to which groups are important and supportive) tend to be associated with better retirement adjustment outcomes. However, group experiences are not always positive, and we know little about their varied contribution to adjustment outcomes. We addressed this gap by exploring the nature of social group memberships – in terms of varying positive and negative experiences of groups – to better understand how social group memberships shape retirement adjustment, life satisfaction and mental health. A latent profile analysis (using data from 489 retirees and their membership of 1887 groups) identified four profiles of social group memberships: optimal (63%), slightly straining (13%), low‐supportive (18%) and ambivalent (6%). Subsequent regression analysis showed that these different profiles of group membership were differentially associated with retirement adjustment outcomes: belonging to more optimal groups was associated with better perceived adjustment, higher life satisfaction and better mental health, while belonging to slightly straining and ambivalent groups contributed to poorer adjustment, lower life satisfaction and greater depression. These findings have implications for theory and practice, not least because they advance our understanding of the diversity of people's group memberships and their contribution to retirement and health outcomes.
Crystal J. La Rue, Catherine Haslam, Sarah V. Bentley, Ben C. P. Lam, Niklas K. Steffens, Nyla R. Branscombe, S. Alexander Haslam, and Tegan Cruwys
Wiley
AbstractSuccessful retirement adjustment requires careful planning in the lead up to this important life transition. While financial planning is routinely prioritized, evidence suggests that the social changes in retirement can be just as challenging to manage — if not more. GROUPS 4 RETIREMENT (G4R) is a new online intervention that addresses this gap by targeting the identity changes that people typically experience in retirement. This paper reports findings from two studies evaluating the acceptability and efficacy of this intervention. Study 1 (N = 89) used a pre‐post design to assess G4R and found that the intervention was positively evaluated by users and led to significant increases in their sense of thriving, perceived control, life satisfaction, anticipated retirement satisfaction, and planning intentions. Study 2 (N = 98) tested the intervention using an experimental design in which participants were randomly assigned to either G4R or a financial planning control condition. Results showed that G4R was as effective as financial planning in improving most outcomes and showed a clear advantage in increasing anticipated retirement satisfaction and intentions to engage in social and activities planning. Together, these studies provide initial evidence of the value of engaging in social identity‐focused social planning to support well‐being and preparedness in the lead up to retirement.
Catherine Haslam, Ben C. P. Lam, Eraj Ghafoori, Niklas K. Steffens, S. Alexander Haslam, Sarah V. Bentley, Tegan Cruwys, and Crystal J. La Rue
American Psychological Association (APA)
Social factors are major determinants of the success of retirement transitions. However, we do not yet fully understand the nature and basis of this impact, particularly as it relates to social group belonging. To address this issue the present article investigated the role that social group memberships play in supporting people's health and well-being in the early phase of transitioning to retirement. More specifically, we drew on the social identity model of identity change (SIMIC) to examine two pathways in which social group processes are theorized to influence adjustment to life change-social identity continuity and social identity gain. To test these pathways, a sample of Australian workers who had transitioned to retirement in the last 12 months (N = 170) were surveyed about their (a) preretirement multiple group memberships and postretirement maintained and new group memberships and (b) their perceived physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction after retirement. While preretirement group memberships did not affect retirement outcomes directly, they supported them indirectly by enabling people both to maintain some existing group memberships and to gain some new group memberships postretirement; as predicted by SIMIC. These findings confirm the importance of social factors and of social group membership in particular, for retiree health and well-being. Theoretically, they support the generalizability of SIMIC and its capacity to explain adjustment to diverse life changes including retirement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Sarah V. Bentley, Catherine Haslam, S. Alexander Haslam, Jolanda Jetten, Joel Larwood, and Crystal J. La Rue
Wiley
AbstractCOVID‐19 has had significant negative consequences for well‐being. As well as the primary effects of the virus itself, secondary effects have resulted from the social isolation caused by the lockdowns imposed to slow the spread of the virus. Recognising the toxic effects of isolation, researchers, practitioners and policy‐makers are conscious of the need to mitigate the negative effects of social distancing. Drawing on insights from a large body of research on the Social Identity Approach to Health, we devised an online activity—GROUPS 2 CONNECT (G2C)—aimed at helping people to maintain social connectedness when face‐to‐face interaction was not possible. Across four studies (N = 1021), we found that after completing the G2C activity, participants reported an increase in perceived quality of social connection, perceived ability to stay connected and well‐being, with results showing that for two of the three longitudinal studies these uplifts were stable over time, and for all studies, the uplifts remained consistently higher for those who reported completing their social connection goals. These findings provide initial evidence of the value of G2C as a tool to support social connection, thereby reducing the risk of social isolation.
Crystal J. La Rue, Catherine Haslam, and Niklas K. Steffens
Elsevier BV
Niklas K. Steffens, Crystal J. LaRue, Catherine Haslam, Zoe C. Walter, Tegan Cruwys, Katie A. Munt, S. Alexander Haslam, Jolanda Jetten, and Mark Tarrant
Informa UK Limited
ABSTRACT There is growing evidence that social identity processes play an important role in a range of health outcomes. However, we know little about the nature and effectiveness of interventions that build social identification with the aim of promoting health. In the present research, we systematically review and meta-analyze interventions that build social identification to enhance health and wellbeing. A total of 27 intervention studies were identified (N = 2,230). Using a three-level meta-regression, results indicate that social identification-building interventions had a moderate-to-strong impact on health (Hedges g = 0.66; 95%CIs[0.34, 0.97]). Analyses revealed significant variation in intervention effectiveness as a function of its type: group-relevant decision making (g = 1.26), therapy programmes (g = 1.02), shared activities (g = 0.40), and reminiscence (g = −0.05). By contrast, there was much less variation across health outcomes: quality of life (g = 0.80), physical health (g = 0.76), self-esteem (g = 0.69), well-being (g = 0.66), (reduced) anxiety (g = 0.61), (reduced) depression (g = 0.58), cognitive health (g = 0.55), and (reduced) stress (g = 0.49). Finally, speaking to the mechanism of the interventions, interventions tended to be more effective to the extent that they succeeded in building participants’ social identification with the intervention group. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of social identification-building interventions to foster health and outline an agenda for future research and practical application.
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Senior Behavioural Scientist at international behavioural science company, Evidn.