Raff Calitri

Group-based rehabilitation interventions: A practical focus on their design and evaluation

This special option will focus on applied research into group-based rehabilitation. You will gain an insight into what it’s like to be a social psychologist attempting to tackle some of societies significant health problems. There will be a practical focus on utilising current theory and evidence from social identity-based interventions for health and an exploration of best practice in the design and evaluation of them. You will gain exposure and practical insight into an array of design and evaluation frameworks that will become a valuable part of your toolkit for real world group-based intervention planning. Potential pitfalls and lessons learned from recent group-based rehabilitation interventions into stroke and obesity will provide insight into the collaborative and pragmatic nature of applied research.

Important note: The sessions on this option require active student participation, including group work and student-led summaries of discussions. You should only sign up for the option if you are willing to engage in this way. Full attendance at timetabled sessions is expected.

Unsure whether to sign up for this option?

The following article provides an excellent and useful insight into how we can develop and manage effective group interventions for behaviour change (e.g., improving wellbeing, reducing loneliness, weight management) through the careful consideration of social identity processes.

Tarrant, M. et al. (2020) ‘Social Identity Interventions’, in M.S. Hagger et al. (eds.) The Handbook of Behavior Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology), pp. 649–660. (Available online at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-behavior-change/social-identity-interventions/B967A5A5E4F61C3929EAEE0CF8B388B0; you will need to be logged into your IT account for access)

Session overview

Session 1: Introduction to Social Identity Interventions and their role in rehabilitation Session 2: How to design a Social Identity Group-Based Intervention Session 3: How to evaluate a Social Identity Group-Based Intervention Session 4: Case study – Social Support interventions for stroke survivors Session 5: What can go wrong with group-based interventions and some next steps Session 6: Summary and assessment preparation

Key readings

Haslam, C., Jetten, J., Cruwys, T., Dingle, G., Haslam, S. A. (2018). The New Psychology of Health: Unlocking the Social Cure. London: Routledge.

Hagger, M. S., Cameron, L. D., Hamilton, K. & Lintunen, T. (Eds.), Handbook of Behavior Change. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Moghadam S, Hollands L, Calitri R, et al. (2024). Development of a group-based behaviour change intervention for people with severe obesity informed by the social identity approach to health. Br J Health Psychol, 29(4), 907-924. doi:10.1111/bjhp.12737

Borek AJ, Abraham C, Greaves CJ, et al. (2019). Identifying change processes in group-based health behaviour-change interventions: development of the mechanisms of action in group-based interventions (MAGI) framework. Health Psychol Rev, 13(3), 227-247. doi:10.1080/17437199.2019.1625282

Tarrant, M., Carter, M., Dean, S. G., Taylor, R., Warren, F. C., Spencer, A., Adamson, J., Landa, P., Code, C., Backhouse, A., Lamont, R. A., & Calitri, R. (2021). Singing for people with aphasia (SPA): results of a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of a group singing intervention investigating acceptability and feasibility. BMJ open, 11(1), e040544. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040544