Personality and the “Social Cure”: The Role of Ego-Resilience in the Social Identity Approach to Health

This work integrates personality theory with the Social Identity Approach to Health (SIAH), examining the interplay between personality, local community group identification, perceived support, and well-being. Three studies investigated: (a) latent personality profiles based on the five-factor model ( N = 49,692); (b) the relationships between local community identification, perceived support, and well-being across personality profiles ( N = 1,254); and (c) whether personality moderates the indirect effect of salient personal vs. local community group identities on well-being through support ( N = 167). Study 1 identified two profiles, respectively, high vs. low ego-resilient. Study 2 found no moderation but positive associations among local community identification, support, and well-being. Study 3 found no moderated mediation, although the high ego-resilient reported greater perceived support when personal vs. local community group identity was salient. These findings advance theoretical integration and inform community-based intervention by addressing the role of personality in the SIAH.