Longitudinal Evaluation of the Mental Health Continuum- Short Form (MHC-SF)

This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a 14-item self-report questionnaire for measuring emotional, social, and psychological well-being. The study draws on data of a representative panel (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences of CentERdata). 1,932 Dutch adults filled out the MHC-SF at four timepoints over 9 months. We used item response theory analyses with two-parameter models to examine differential item functioning across demographics, health indicators, and timepoints. The results indicated differences in the performance of one item (social well-being) for educational level, one item (social well-being) for sex, and two items (psychological well-being) for age. The MHC-SF is highly reliable over time, as there was no differential item functioning across the four timepoints. Furthermore, the means and reliabilities of the subscales were consistent over time. The MHC-SF is a reliable and valid instrument to measure positive aspects of mental health.

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Do Mental Health and Vitality Mediate the Relationship between Perceived Control over Time and Fear of COVID-19? A Survey in an Italian Sample

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10163516 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (16) ◽

pp. 3516

Author(s):

Silvana Miceli ◽

Barbara Caci ◽

Michele Roccella ◽

Luigi Vetri ◽

Giuseppe Quatrosi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Online Survey ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Effective Control ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Over Time

Several studies evidenced increased elevated symptomatology levels in anxiety, general stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress related to COVID-19. Real difficulties in the effective control of time that could be responsible for mental health issues and loss of vitality were also reported. Prior literature highlighted how perceived control over time significantly modulates anxiety disorders and promotes psychological well-being. To verify the hypothesis that perceived control over time predicts fear of COVID-19 and mental health and vitality mediate this relationship, we performed an online survey on a sample of 301 subjects (female = 68%; Mage = 22.12, SD = 6.29; age range = 18–57 years), testing a parallel mediation model using PROCESS macro (model 4). All participants responded to self-report measures of perceived control over time, COVID-19 fear, mental health, and vitality subscales of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. Results corroborate the hypotheses of direct relationships between all the study variables and partially validate the mediation’s indirect effect. Indeed, mental health (a1b1 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.11; UL = −0.01; p < 0.001) rather than vitality (a2b2 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.09; UL = 0.03; n.s.) emerges as a significant mediator between perceived control over time and fear of COVID-19. Practical implications of the study about treatment programs based on perceived control over time and emotional coping to prevent fear and anxiety toward the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.

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Validation of a Kazakhstani Version of the Mental Health Continuum—Short Form

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.754236 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Hernández-Torrano ◽

Laura Ibrayeva ◽

Ainur Muratkyzy ◽

Natalya Lim ◽

Yerden Nurtayev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Self Report ◽

General Factor ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Gender And Age ◽

Health And Well Being

Positive mental health and well-being are significant dimensions of health, employment, and educational outcomes. Research on positive mental health and well-being requires measurement instruments in native languages for use in local contexts and target populations. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Kazakhstani version of the Mental Health Continuum—Short Form (MHC-SF), a brief self-report instrument measuring emotional, social, and psychological well-being. The sample included 664 University students (425 females) purposefully selected in three higher education institutions in South, East, and Central Kazakhstan. Their average age was 20.25 and ranged from 18 to 43. Participants completed a Kazakhstani version of the MHC-SF online. Statistical analyses to evaluate the structural validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the Kazakhstani version of the MHC-SF were performed. The results confirmed the superiority of the bifactor model (i.e., three separated factors of well-being plus a general factor of well-being) over the alternatives. However, most of the reliable variance was attributable to the general well-being factor. Subscale scores were unreliable, explaining very low variance beyond that explained by the general factor. The findings demonstrated the measurement invariance of the MHC-SF across gender and age. Overall, these findings support the use of the Kazakhstani version of the MHC-SF to examine a general factor of well-being and the measurement invariance of the instrument across gender and age groups. However, the results advise against the interpretation of the subscale scores as unequivocal indicators of emotional, social, and psychological well-being.

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Social Media Activities, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Their Interactions on People’s Mental Health in COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238931 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8931 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yang Yang ◽

Keqiao Liu ◽

Siqi Li ◽

Man Shu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Well Being ◽

Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Regulation Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the general population’s life worldwide. People may spend more time on social media because of policies like “work at home”. Using a cross-sectional dataset collected through an online survey in February 2020, in China, we examined (1) the relationships between social media activities and people’s mental health status and (2) the moderation effect of emotional-regulation strategies. The sample included people aged ≥18 years from 32 provinces and regions in China (N = 3159). The inferential analyses included a set of multiple linear regressions with interactions. Our results showed that sharing timely, accurate, and positive COVID-19 information, reducing excessive discussions on COVID-19, and promoting caring online interactions rather than being judgmental, might positively associate with the general public’s psychological well-being. Additionally, the relationships between social media activities and psychological well-being varied at different emotion-regulation strategy levels. Adopting the cognitive reappraisal strategy might allay the adverse relationships between certain social media activities and mental health indicators. Our findings expanded the theory of how social media activities can be associated with a human being’s mental health and how it can interact with emotion-regulation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Effects associated with the use of healthcare for eating disorders by women in the community: a longitudinal cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033986 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. e033986

Author(s):

Nicol Holtzhausen ◽

Haider Mannan ◽

Nasim Foroughi ◽

Phillipa Hay

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Short Form ◽

Self Report ◽

Longitudinal Cohort ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Over Time

ObjectivesThis study examined formal and informal healthcare use (HCU) in community women with disordered eating, and associations of HCU with mental health-related quality of life (MHRQoL), psychological distress, mental health literacy (MHL) and eating disorder (ED) symptoms over time.HypothesisWe hypothesised that HCU would lead to improvement in ED symptom severity, MHRQoL, MHL and psychological distress.Design, setting, participantsData were from years 2, 4 and 9 of a longitudinal cohort of 443 community women (mean age 30.6, SE 0.4 years) with a range of ED symptoms, randomly recruited from the Australian Capital Territory electoral role or via convenience sampling from tertiary education centres. Data were collected using posted/emailed self-report questionnaires; inclusion criteria were completion of the HCU questionnaire at time point of 2 years (baseline for this study). HCU was measured using a multiple-choice question on help seeking for an eating problem. To test the effect of HCU over time on MHRQoL (Short Form-12 score), psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale score), ED symptom severity (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire score) and ED–MHL, linear or logistic mixed-effects regression analyses were used.Results20% of participants sought ED-specific help at baseline; more than half of participants sought help that was not evidence based. HCU at baseline was significantly associated with improved MHRQoL and ED symptom severity and decreased psychological distress over time (Cohen’s d all >0.3, ie, small). HCU was not significantly associated with MHL over time. The predictive ability of the fitted models ranged from 32.18% to 42.42% for psychological distress and MHL treatment, respectively.ConclusionsFormal and informal HCU were associated with small improvements in ED symptoms, MHRQoL and psychological distress but not with improved MHL. Informal services in ED management should be investigated further along with efforts to improve ED–MHL.

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Life satisfaction in adolescents: relationship with parental style, peer attachment and emotional intelligence

Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology ◽

10.25115/ejrep.v19i53.3425 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (53) ◽

pp. 51-74

Author(s):

Alba Guijarro Gallego ◽

Antonia Martínez Pérez ◽

Visitación Fernández Fernández ◽

Mavi Alcántara-López ◽

Maravillas Castro Sáez

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Peer Attachment ◽

Self Report ◽

Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being

Introduction. Theory and research support the idea that subjective well-being (positive / negative affect and life satisfaction) is a substantial construct in understanding psychological well-being and mental health. The relevance of life satisfaction in variables affecting psychological well-being has been studied. Life satisfaction in adolescents and its association with sex, age, parental educational styles, peer attachment and emotional intelligence was researched. Groups were compared according to degree of life satisfaction and its relationship with these variables. Method. The sample was composed of 285 secondary school students (49.8% male), average age 15.09 years (12 to 19), and self-report measures of variables were applied to be analyzed: Satisfaction with Life Scale-Child (SWLS-C), Parental Educational Style of Adolescents, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) y Trait Meta-Mood-Scale-48 (TMMS-48). Results. Results showed a significant high level of satisfaction among adolescents. A significant higher score among boys compared to girls was confirmed, as in the younger compared to older. Correlations were statistically significant between life satisfaction and all dimensions from Parental Educational Style analyzed, except Behavioral Control; with Alienation and Confidence of Peer Attachment; and with Emotional Intelligence Clarity and Repair, as well as statistically significant differences among satisfaction groups in 12 of the 19 variables analyzed. Discussion and Conclusion. Promoting life satisfaction in adolescents is increasingly relevant, due to the role it may play in achieving good psychological adjustment, thus contributing to the promotion and prevention of mental health.

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Positive Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Mental Health of Female Teachers during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186450 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6450 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alessio Matiz ◽

Franco Fabbro ◽

Andrea Paschetto ◽

Damiano Cantone ◽

Anselmo Roberto Paolone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Interoceptive Awareness ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Personality Profiles ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Mindfulness Skills ◽

Female Teachers ◽

Anxiety Depression

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent public health measures were shown to impact negatively on people’s mental health. In particular, women were reported to be at higher risk than men of developing symptoms of stress/anxiety/depression, and resilience was considered a key factor for positive mental health outcomes. In the present study, a sample of Italian female teachers (n = 66, age: 51.5 ± 7.9 years) was assessed with self-report instruments one month before and one month after the start of the Covid-19 lockdown: mindfulness skills, empathy, personality profiles, interoceptive awareness, psychological well-being, emotional distress and burnout levels were measured. Meanwhile, they received an 8-week Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation (MOM) course, through two group meetings and six individual video-lessons. Based on baseline personality profiles, analyses of variance were performed in a low-resilience (LR, n = 32) and a high-resilience (HR, n = 26) group. The LR and HR groups differed at baseline in most of the self-report measures. Pre–post MOM significant improvements were found in both groups in anxiety, depression, affective empathy, emotional exhaustion, psychological well-being, interoceptive awareness, character traits and mindfulness levels. Improvements in depression and psychological well-being were higher in the LR vs. HR group. We conclude that mindfulness-based training can effectively mitigate the psychological negative consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak, helping in particular to restore well-being in the most vulnerable individuals.

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Long-Run Effects of Lottery Wealth on Psychological Well-Being

The Review of Economic Studies ◽

10.1093/restud/rdaa006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 87 (6) ◽

pp. 2703-2726 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erik Lindqvist ◽

Robert Östling ◽

David Cesarini

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Important Mediator ◽

Long Run ◽

Over Time ◽

Overall Life Satisfaction

Abstract We surveyed a large sample of Swedish lottery players about their psychological well-being 5–22 years after a major lottery event and analysed the data following pre-registered procedures. Relative to matched controls, large-prize winners experience sustained increases in overall life satisfaction that persist for over a decade and show no evidence of dissipating over time. The estimated treatment effects on happiness and mental health are significantly smaller. Follow-up analyses of domain-specific aspects of life satisfaction implicate financial life satisfaction as an important mediator for the long-run increase in overall life satisfaction.

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A Mobile App for the Self-Report of Psychological Well-Being During Pregnancy (BrightSelf): Qualitative Design Study

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/10007 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. e10007 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Kevin Doherty ◽

Marguerite Barry ◽

José Marcano-Belisario ◽

Bérenger Arnaud ◽

Cecily Morrison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Technology Use ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Mobile App ◽

The Self ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Health Technologies

Background Maternal mental health impacts both parental well-being and childhood development. In the United Kingdom, 15% of women are affected by depression during pregnancy or within 1 year of giving birth. Suicide is a leading cause of perinatal maternal mortality, and it is estimated that >50% of perinatal depression cases go undiagnosed. Mobile technologies are potentially valuable tools for the early recognition of depressive symptoms, but complex design challenges must be addressed to enable their use in public health screening. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the issues and challenges surrounding the use of mobile phones for the self-report of psychological well-being during pregnancy. Methods This paper presents design research carried out as part of the development of BrightSelf, a mobile app for the self-report of psychological well-being during pregnancy. Design sessions were carried out with 38 participants, including pregnant women, mothers, midwives, and other health professionals. Overall, 19 hours of audio were fully transcribed and used as the basis of thematic analysis. Results The study highlighted anxieties concerning the pregnancy journey, challenges surrounding current approaches to the appraisal of well-being in perinatal care, and the midwife-patient relationship. Designers should consider the framing of perinatal mental health technologies, the experience of self-report, supporting self-awareness and disclosure, providing value to users through both self-report and supplementary features, and designing for longitudinal engagement. Conclusions This study highlights the needs, motivations, and anxieties of women with respect to technology use in pregnancy and implications for the design of mobile health technologies.

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The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study on the Emotional-Behavioral Sequelae for Children and Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Their Families

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18189880 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 9880

Author(s):

Alessia Raffagnato ◽

Sara Iannattone ◽

Benedetta Tascini ◽

Martina Venchiarutti ◽

Alessia Broggio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Well Being ◽

Internalizing Disorders ◽

Self Report ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Over Time

This study aimed to investigate the immediate and short-term impact of the pandemic on the psychological well-being of Italian children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders and their families. Overall, 56 patients aged 6–18 (M = 13.4 years, SD = 2.77) and their parents were evaluated during the COVID-19 lockdown (T0) and after 4 months (T1). An ad hoc data sheet, Youth Self-Report 11–18 (YSR), Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 (CBCL), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were administered. Patients, mainly suffering from internalizing disorders, overall demonstrated a good adaptation to the pandemic context. Moreover, patients with behavioral disorders showed a greater psychological discomfort at both T0 and T1 compared to patients with internalizing disorders. Over time, patients presented an improvement on the emotional side, as proven by a significant decrease in internalizing and post-traumatic stress problems. Finally, no significant differences were found in the emotional-behavioral profile of patients according to the means of conducting neuropsychiatric interventions during the lockdown (i.e., in person/remotely/interrupted), thus allowing us to exclude important negative effects caused by the transition to remote therapy. Concerning parents, an inverse relationship emerged between the DASS-21 scores and the level of resilience, which therefore represents a protective factor against psychological maladjustment. Over time, an improvement in the psychological well-being of parents was observed, as shown by a significant decrease in mothers’ anxiety and fathers’ stress.

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A Mobile App for the Self-Report of Psychological Well-Being During Pregnancy (BrightSelf): Qualitative Design Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.10007 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Doherty ◽

Marguerite Barry ◽

José Marcano-Belisario ◽

Bérenger Arnaud ◽

Cecily Morrison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Technology Use ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Mobile App ◽

The Self ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Health Technologies

BACKGROUND Maternal mental health impacts both parental well-being and childhood development. In the United Kingdom, 15% of women are affected by depression during pregnancy or within 1 year of giving birth. Suicide is a leading cause of perinatal maternal mortality, and it is estimated that >50% of perinatal depression cases go undiagnosed. Mobile technologies are potentially valuable tools for the early recognition of depressive symptoms, but complex design challenges must be addressed to enable their use in public health screening. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the issues and challenges surrounding the use of mobile phones for the self-report of psychological well-being during pregnancy. METHODS This paper presents design research carried out as part of the development of BrightSelf, a mobile app for the self-report of psychological well-being during pregnancy. Design sessions were carried out with 38 participants, including pregnant women, mothers, midwives, and other health professionals. Overall, 19 hours of audio were fully transcribed and used as the basis of thematic analysis. RESULTS The study highlighted anxieties concerning the pregnancy journey, challenges surrounding current approaches to the appraisal of well-being in perinatal care, and the midwife-patient relationship. Designers should consider the framing of perinatal mental health technologies, the experience of self-report, supporting self-awareness and disclosure, providing value to users through both self-report and supplementary features, and designing for longitudinal engagement. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the needs, motivations, and anxieties of women with respect to technology use in pregnancy and implications for the design of mobile health technologies.

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