Increased social identification is linked with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms among ethnic minorities and migrants: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence suggests that social identities, which provide purpose and a sense of belonging to the social world, promote resilience against psychological strain and protect well-being. This is especially important in ethnic minorities, who experience exclusion and discrimination from the majority group, and in migrant populations where adverse experiences, such as prejudice, disconnection from previous identities and issues of integration into the host country, negatively impact well-being. Drawing from the social identity theory, a meta-analysis was conducted examining the influence of group memberships and sense of belonging on ethnic minority and migrant mental health (depression and anxiety). The final search on three databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science) was conducted on August 9th, 2022, identifying 3236 citations before removing any duplicates within and between databases. Across the 74 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis, increased social identification (ethnic, national and other types of identification) was associated with low psychological symptoms. We found that social identification is protective against common psychological disorders but with small effect sizes for depression (r = − 0.09, CI = [− 0.12; − 0.06]) and anxiety (r = − 0.08, CI [− 0.12; − 0.03]). Results are discussed with regard to the role that social context plays on ethnic minority and migrant mental health and the importance of facilitating migrant integration with the host society after displacement.