Measure Of Positive Mental Health Research Articles

Public green spaces and positive mental health – investigating the relationship between access, quantity and types of parks and mental wellbeing

Associations between parks and mental health have typically been investigated in relation to the presence or absence of mental illness. This study uses a validated measure of positive mental health and data from RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) Project to investigate the association between the presence, amount and attributes of public green space in new greenfield neighbourhood developments and the mental health of local residents (n = 492). Both the overall number and total area of public green spaces were significantly associated with greater mental wellbeing, and findings support a dose-response relationship. Positive mental health was not only associated with parks with a nature focus, but also with green spaces characterised by recreational and sporting activity. The study demonstrates that adequate provision of public green space in local neighbourhoods and within walking distance is important for positive mental health.

11-M Victims 3 Years After Madrid Terrorist Attacks: Looking for Health Beyond Trauma

Although there is a growing body of evidence that health is the presence of well-being and not just the absence of a disease, research related to victims of terrorists attacks is mostly focused on the presence/absence of pathology (e.g. PTSD). The present study aims to apply the Complete State Model of Health to evaluate the mental health status of 69 direct victims of 11-M terrorist attack three years after the event. The results of Horn’s Parallel Analysis and CFA confirmed that the measures of positive mental health (well-being indicators) and illness (PTSD) loaded on separate but correlated factors. This is to say, the absence of PTSD in our sample was not equivalent to the presence of health. However, although positive health and illness indicators should be considered as two different factors, they were closely related. In fact, three well-being indicators were strongly associated with PTSD: positive affect, self-acceptance and positive relations. These findings suggest the need to work to ensure victims’ positive health.

Authenticity, Social Context, and Well-Being in the United States, England, and Russia

The study investigated interrelationships among trait authenticity, context-specific authenticity, and well-being in three samples drawn from England, the United States, and Russia. Six hundred and twenty-eight adults participated: 196 from the United States, 240 from England, and 192 from Russia. The overall sample consisted of 151 men and 477 women with a mean age of 27 years (range = 18 to 56). Authenticity was rated both as a general trait and specific to four contexts: with partner, parents, friends, and work colleagues. Well-being was measured using a measure of positive mental health. English and American samples showed higher mean authenticity levels than the Russian sample. In all three subsamples, within-subjects differences in the context-specific ratings were in the same ordinal series; authenticity was rated highest with partner, followed by friends and parents, and lowest with work colleagues. Context and country showed an interaction in their effect on authenticity; United States and England were higher than Russia in partner, friend, and parent contexts but not in the work context. Trait and context-specific authenticity measures contributed unique and significant variance to a prediction of well-being in all three subsamples.

Measuring population mental health and social well-being

This paper examines the relationships between indicators of positive and negative dimensions of mental health, social well-being and physical health. The paper reports on data collected in the third National Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN 2007), a cross-sectional survey conducted with a representative sample of 10,364 Irish adults. The survey included measures of positive mental health and non-specific psychological distress from the SF-36 questionnaire, together with measures of social well-being, subjective health, and selected health behaviours. Positive mental health is predicted by lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of social support. Better self-rated health, positive health behaviours and lower GP consultation rates are associated with higher levels of positive mental health. Lower levels of social well-being, were found to be the strongest predictors of negative mental health. Social well-being and health behaviours correlate with both positive and negative mental health. These findings highlight the need to endorse comprehensive approaches to population mental health promotion. The inclusion of both positive and negative mental health indicators in future population health surveys is supported by the findings.

The Affectometer 2: a measure of positive mental health in UK populations

To validate Affectometer 2 for use in the UK, derive population norms and assess its potential for monitoring positive mental health. 722 adults aged 16-74 living in Scotland completed Affectometer 2 and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and provided data on socio-economic factors known to be associated with mental health status. Principal component analysis was used to explore the underlying structure of Affectometer 2. Internal reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was tested by comparing associations between Affectometer 2 scores and socio-economic factors with expected performance from other surveys and with the GHQ. 89% of participants completed Affectometer 2 suggesting a high level of public acceptability. Both total scale and subscales showed a high level of internal consistency (0.944). Correlations between Affectometer 2 score and key socio-economic variables were consistent with the findings of other population mental health surveys. Correlation with the GHQ was moderate (0.60). Affectometer 2 did not show a ceiling effect in this general population sample. Principal component analysis provided some evidence consistent with a single underlying construct, although this needs further testing. Affectometer 2 met accepted criteria for validity and reliability in this representative UK population and demonstrated potential for use in monitoring positive mental health. The results provide support for the development of a shortened version of the scale which would be advantageous for population surveys.

Orem's nursing theory and positive mental health: practical considerations.

The impetus for the authors' development of this article was their growing awareness of the failure of some nurses to recognize positive mental health behaviors of patients. The authors also were aware of the absence of readily applicable criterion measures of positive mental health. This awareness led to the formulation and investigation of two questions: What human behaviors constitute adequate criterion measures of positive mental health of adults? Do adult persons in health care, including nursing situations, reveal evidence of positive mental health?

Relationship between type A behavior subscales and measures of positive mental health.

Recent evidence suggests that the student version of the Jenkins Activity Survey, a major measure of the Type A behavior pattern, is composed of heterogeneous items and, as a consequence, attenuates correlations with measures of psychological traits. The present study used two homogeneous subscales from the JAS to establish the relationship between two aspects of positive mental health (self-actualization and self-esteem) and components of the Type A syndrome (N = 68). As expected, self-actualization and self-esteem are related to only one aspect of the Type A behavior pattern. This result is obscured when only total JAS scale scores are used. Implications for future Type A behavior research and for improving the JAS subscales are discussed.

Psychological functioning of bipolar manic-depressives in remission.

Several dimensions of psychological functioning of bipolar manic-depressives in remission were investigated. The following hypotheses were examined: (1) During remission, these individuals exhibit psychological maladjustment or a lack of positive mental health. (2) Bipolar manic-depressives are characterized by strong external orientations. The Personal Orientation Inventory, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Levenson's Internal and Powerful Others Locus of Control Scales, and the Embedded Figures Test were administered to matched groups of 35 bipolar manic-depressives and 35 normal comparison subjects. Discriminant analysis disclosed no significant differences between the two groups on measures of positive mental health and on measures of external orientation. The relationship between these results and the etiology and treatment of manic-depressive disorder is briefly discussed, as well as the contradiction these findings pose to current views of this disorder pervasive among professional and lay populations.

Relationship of the Community Adaptation Schedule and the Personal Orientation Inventory: two measures of positive mental health.

The relationship between the Community Adaptation Schedule (CAS) and the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), two conceptually different measures of positive mental health, was studied. Forty Ss were administered both the CAS and POI The bivariate correlation matrix showed prominent patterns of significant correlations between major scales on the two measures. A canonical correlation analysis was also performed to determine the overall relationships between the CAS and POI. The results of these analyses were interpreted to suggest a positive relationship between the CAS and POI while supporting their independence as measures of positive mental health. The relationships of the CAS and POI to the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale was also reported.

Positive Mental Health and Facilitative Genuineness During Counseling

This study was undertaken to determine if the scales on the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), a measure of positive mental health, could effectively discriminate between two groups of counselors with respect to ability to communicate the therapeutic condition of facilitative genuineness within counseling relationships. Results disclosed that 7 of the 12 scales of the POI significantly differentiated between the “high genuineness” and “low genuineness” groups. Findings suggest that counselor education programs should focus more directly upon providing personal growth experiences for students of counseling.