A Social Curse: When In‐Group Identification Hinders Help‐Seeking

ABSTRACT While social group memberships can support people's health‐known as the Social Cure‐we suggest that those same memberships can hamper people's health. This study investigates whether in‐group identification can decrease help‐seeking beliefs for mental health. Building on social identity theory and the multiple identity integration model, we predicted that members of the Irish Defence Forces will show less positive help‐seeking beliefs for mental health issues the more they identify with their military in‐group and that this relationship is explained by mismatching group stereotypes. We assessed in‐group identification with the military, stereotypes towards people with mental health issues, stereotypes towards the military in‐group, and help‐seeking beliefs for mental health issues of 109 current and previous members of the Irish Defence Forces. Correlational results support the prediction that stronger military in‐group identification is associated with less positive help‐seeking beliefs for mental health issues and that this relationship is explained by stronger mismatch in respective group stereotypes. This research contributes to a better understanding of the issue of low help‐seeking for mental health issues and the high suicide rates in military organisations. It suggests that interventions aiming to decrease perceptions of misfit of people in the military and people who encounter mental health issues could help to increase help‐seeking within military contexts.