Introduction. Somatic symptoms with no organic cause are more prevalent among women than among men, with mental health problems generated by gender and social norms mainly being presented by females, to which the health system tends to provide an exclusively medicalised response. It is possible to implement group interventions that address the consequences of divergent socialisation hinging on gender as regards mental health, with these efforts having a positive impact on perceptions of well-being. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of socio-educational groups on the participants, using a qualitative methodology. Methodology. We conducted ten semi-structured interviews with participants in the socio-educational groups. Sample selection was intentional, selecting ten participants on the basis of the following variables: age, level of education, marital status, employment status, income level, and the size of the municipality in which they resided. This theoretical sampling technique allowed us to guarantee the heterogeneity of the participants and their discourse. To analyse the information, we applied a phenomenological and critical approach, and conducted a process of thematic analysis. Results. Well-being is the main theme that emerges from the analysis of the information, grouping together different sub-themes and properties. In the female participants discourse we noted that socio-educational groups helped them approach their lives differently, allowing them to feel better on the personal and relational levels. The coping mechanisms observed included problem-focused (questioning, gender awareness, acting on the problem, self-determination, social relations and integration into the labour market) and emotion-focused strategies (relativisation, acceptance and living in the present, relaxation techniques and emotional expression). Discussion. This study contributes to an understanding of how socio-educational groups offered a good strategy to improve participants’ mental health and perceived wellbeing by applying group work with a gender perspective. They provided a forum in which the participants became gender-aware, leading them to reconsider themselves and their lives, find new explanations for their experiences, and realise their ability to develop their creativity in the face of guilt and fear, allowing them to pursue new life projects. Conclusions. The results are consistent with the literature, which indicates the existence of gender norms adversely affecting participants' mental health problems. These problems could be reduced through work undertaken in socio-educational groups that enables them to develop new coping strategies. The implications for social policies include evaluating the potential of incorporating this type of strategy into the portfolio of public health services, as well as assessing the relevance of creating and carrying out socio-educational groups with men. With a view to the future, it would be valuable to establish qualitative measures over time to observe any changes in the participants’ discourse and experiences.

Se presenta el protocolo de Investigación del proyecto “Desarrollo Positivo Juvenil en Estudiantes Universitarios Españoles: Análisis de las Fortalezas Evolutivas relacionadas con la Salud, el Bienestar Psicológico y la Contribución Social” (Programa FEDER Andalucía 2014-2020, UHU-1259711). El objetivo general de este proyecto fue analizar en qué medida se encuentran satisfechas las dimensiones de desarrollo positivo juvenil en los universitarios españoles, así como examinar las fortalezas evolutivas asociadas y los correlatos en salud, contribución social y bienestar psicológico. El procedimiento de recogida de datos siguió una metodología mixta, con un estudio cuantitativo y otro cualitativo. El estudio cuantitativo consistió en un estudio longitudinal siguiendo una metodología de encuesta online. Respecto al estudio cualitativo, se siguió una metodología de grupos focales. La recogida de datos se llevó a cabo en invierno y primavera de 2021.

Income inequality undermines societies: The more inequality, the more health problems, social tensions, and the lower social mobility, trust, life expectancy. Given people's tendency to legitimate existing social arrangements, the stereotype content model (SCM) argues that ambivalence-perceiving many groups as either warm or competent, but not both-may help maintain socio-economic disparities. The association between stereotype ambivalence and income inequality in 37 cross-national samples from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Asia, and Africa investigates how groups' overall warmth-competence, status-competence, and competition-warmth correlations vary across societies, and whether these variations associate with income inequality (Gini index). More unequal societies report more ambivalent stereotypes, whereas more equal ones dislike competitive groups and do not necessarily respect them as competent. Unequal societies may need ambivalence for system stability: Income inequality compensates groups with partially positive social images.