Abstract
Social isolation and conflict due to structural racism may result in human suffering
and loneliness across the life span. Given the rising prevalence of these problems
in the United States, combined with disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic,
the neurobiology of affiliative behaviors may offer practical solutions to the pressing
challenges associated with structural racism. Controlled experiments across species
demonstrate that social connections are critical to survival, although strengthening
individual resilience is insufficient to address the magnitude and impact of structural
racism. In contrast, the multilevel construct of social resilience, defined by the
power of groups to cultivate, engage in, and sustain positive relationships that endure
and recuperate from social adversities, offers unique insights that may have greater
impact, reach, and durability than individual-level interventions. Here, we review
putative social resilience-enhancing interventions and, when available, their biological
mediators, with the hope to stimulate discovery of novel approaches to mitigate structural
racism. We first explore the social neuroscience principles underlying psychotherapy
and other psychiatric interventions. Then, we explore translational efforts across
species to tailor treatments that increase social resilience, with context and cultural
sensitivity in mind. Finally, we conclude with some practical future directions for
understudied areas that may be essential for progress in biological psychiatry, including
ethical ways to increase representation in research and developing social paradigms
that inform dynamics toward or away from socially resilient outcomes.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: May 20, 2022
Accepted:
May 5,
2022
Received in revised form:
April 15,
2022
Received:
February 15,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
