Measurement invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form across US military veteran and civilian adults.

Abstract

Recent research has suggested that mental health is not only the absence of mental illness but includes aspects of well-being. One common psychological assessment used to assess dimensions of well-being is the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). The MHC-SF is a 14-item measure that assesses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The purpose of this study was to assess measurement invariance of the MHC-SF across US military veterans and civilians. First, we examined the factor structure of the MHC-SF separately for veterans (n = 418) and civilians (n = 411). We then conducted multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) to assess measurement invariance for the two groups. Findings suggested there were three latent factors representing emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Results from MG-CFA suggested that the MHC-SF is invariant across veterans and civilians. Researchers and practitioners can administer the MHC-SF with both groups.