Exploring mental health and social well-being of an individual and the nation as a whole is one of the priorities of modern psychology and social psychology. This trend has been actively developing since the second half of the 1970s. Within this framework, research conducted aims at clarifying the following issues: 1) what social and psychological factors influence human behavior in the field of health and illness, 2) how the relationship between a doctor, a patient and the social environment affect adherence to treatment, etc. The relevance of research on the issues of social psychology of health is explained primarily by the recognition in modern society of the fact that social psychologists who base on an understanding of the mechanisms of behavior modification and peculiarities of decision-making in the field of health, taking into account different levels of human functioning, can contribute to improving the health and well-being of a person or social groups. This review includes the articles by leading researchers published in the thematic issue of the journal “Social Psychology and Society”, Volume 14, N 2, 2023 (publisher – Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University, editor-in-chief – N.N. Tolstykh).
social psychology; mental health; social health; society; human behavior; well-being; social groups; social support.