Assessing positive mental health in people with chronic physical health problems: correlations with socio-demographic variables and physical health status.

Teresa Lluch-Canut,Aurelia Sánchez-Ortega,Juan Roldán-Merino,Carmen Ferré-Grau,Montserrat Puig-Llobet

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-928

Abstract

BackgroundA holistic perspective on health implies giving careful consideration to the relationship between physical and mental health. In this regard the present study sought to determine the level of Positive Mental Health (PMH) among people with chronic physical health problems, and to examine the relationship between the observed levels of PMH and both physical health status and socio-demographic variables.MethodsThe study was based on the Multifactor Model of Positive Mental Health (Lluch, 1999), which comprises six factors: Personal Satisfaction (F1), Prosocial Attitude (F2), Self-control (F3), Autonomy (F4), Problem-solving and Self-actualization (F5), and Interpersonal Relationship Skills (F6). The sample comprised 259 adults with chronic physical health problems who were recruited through a primary care center in the province of Barcelona (Spain). Positive mental health was assessed by means of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (Lluch, 1999).ResultsLevels of PMH differed, either on the global scale or on specific factors, in relation to the following variables: age: global PMH scores decreased with age (r=-0.129; p=0.038); b) gender: men scored higher on F1 (t=2.203; p=0.028) and F4 (t=3.182; p=0.002), while women scored higher on F2 (t -3.086; p=0.002) and F6 (t=-2.744; p=0.007); c) number of health conditions: the fewer the number of health problems the higher the PMH score on F5 (r=-0.146; p=0.019); d) daily medication: polymedication patients had lower PMH scores, both globally and on various factors; e) use of analgesics: occasional use of painkillers was associated with higher PMH scores on F1 (t=-2.811; p=0.006). There were no significant differences in global PMH scores according to the type of chronic health condition. The only significant difference in the analysis by factors was that patients with hypertension obtained lower PMH scores on the factor Autonomy (t=2.165; p=0.032).ConclusionsMost people with chronic physical health problems have medium or high levels of PMH. The variables that adversely affect PMH are old age, polypharmacy and frequent consumption of analgesics. The type of health problem does not influence the levels of PMH. Much more extensive studies with samples without chronic pathology are now required in order to be able to draw more robust conclusions.

Highlights

A holistic perspective on health implies giving careful consideration to the relationship between physical and mental health
This definition makes clear that mental health is more than just the absence of illness, and it is this aspect that is captured by the concept of Positive Mental Health (PMH)
The present results show that age is related to PMH, since global PMH scores were significantly lower among the oldest group of patients

Summary

Introduction

A holistic perspective on health implies giving careful consideration to the relationship between physical and mental health. The notion of Positive Mental Health (PMH) arose out of changes in the general mental health context that took place during the first half of the twentieth century This period saw a shift in the way that mental disorders were described and approached, namely it became accepted that mental health was more than just the absence of illness, the term “mental health” came to be used as a broad concept covering both mental wellbeing and mental illness, and greater emphasis was placed on the need to work from a community perspective in order to prevent and, especially, to promote mental health. It is a positive sense of emotional ans spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity” [15]

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