Two-continua Model Research Articles

Developing and validating a positive mental health scale for the global south construction industry: the construction industry positive mental health inventory (CI-PMHI)

Purpose Promoting positive mental health is increasingly being encouraged as the focus of research and policies on the mental health of construction personnel. Most measures of mental health, however, typically use negative indicators such as depression and anxiety and are not specifically developed for the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background. These limitations have made it challenging to measure construction personnel’s positive mental health. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to develop a scale for measuring the positive mental health of construction personnel with a Global South background. Design/methodology/approach Guided by Keyes’ two-continua model of mental health, the study objectives were addressed through a mixed-methods study using the case of Ghana. Qualitative data collected from eight key stakeholder groups using 16 interviews and two rounds of focus group discussions were analysed thematically. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey of 425 construction personnel and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis. Findings Thematic analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of positive mental health, namely, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis of the results indicated good instrument validity and reliability. Originality/value Existing measures of positive mental health are based on a three-dimensional model, i.e. emotional, social and psychological well-being. By including spiritual well-being, this study proposes a four-dimensional measurement model as a more comprehensive and promising measure to use in surveys of positive mental health among the construction workforce, especially those with a Global South background, and to develop suitable interventions for them.

Using a Trans-theoretical Approach to Identify Differences in Determinants of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and Mental Wellbeing Between Two Age Groups

The objective of this research was to compare social, emotional, and cognitive determinants of depression and anxiety symptoms and mental wellbeing using the two-continua model of mental health and illness in two age groups. The two-continua model proposes that mental health and mental illness are not two ends of the same spectrum but are, in fact, two separate but related spectrums. This cross-sectional study used a multi-age group comparison approach to identify the relative predictive strengths of risk and protective factors for the two-continua model of mental health and mental illness. Participants (n = 458: 251 16–25 year olds, and 207 35–64 year olds) completed an online survey that measured the outcome variables of depression and anxiety symptoms and mental wellbeing. Independent variables from three conceptual areas in psychology—(1) positive psychology: optimism, pessimism, and accomplishment; (2) emotion regulation: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression; and (3) interpersonal theories: belonging and relationship with parent/child—were measured to ascertain the determinants of these outcome variables. The all-variables models explained 58–68% of the variance in depression symptoms, 77–80% in mental wellbeing, and 26–43% in anxiety symptoms. For both groups, the strongest predictor of mental wellbeing in these models was accomplishment. The strongest predictors in these models of mental illness symptoms differed between groups: belonging in the younger group and accomplishment in the older group. Programs targeting belonging and accomplishment could be highly effective in promoting mental wellbeing and reducing mental ill-health for these groups. Interventions require contextual investigation to locate drivers of mental wellbeing and illness for different age groups prior to implementation.

Psychotherapists’ perspective of the use of eHealth services to enhance positive mental health promotion

Objective Keyes’s two-continua model of mental health proposes that mental illness and positive mental health are two separate, correlated, unipolar dimensions. eHealth services have been used to deliver mental health care, though the focus remained largely on symptom reduction and management of negative aspects of mental health. The potential of eHealth services to promote positive mental well-being, however, has not been tapped sufficiently. The present study aims to explore psychotherapists’ perspective on the feasibility of eHealth services to enhance positive mental health promotion. Methods Seven focus group discussions were conducted among professionals ( n = 38) who delivered psychotherapy to examine positive mental health in their practice. Responses related to the use of e-psychotherapy to promote mental well-being were extracted for use in a secondary analysis of data in this study. Thematic analysis of data via inductive approach was conducted to allow emergence of common themes. Results Three main themes related to psychotherapists’ perspective on the feasibility of eHealth intervention in enhancing positive mental health were identified: (1) use of eHealth to educate and improve positive mental health; (2) concerns on incorporating psychotherapy into online services; (3) other factors that affect uptake or effectiveness of eHealth intervention for positive mental health. Conclusions The study generally found support among psychotherapists for the feasibility of eHealth intervention in promoting positive mental health among clients. Potential difficulties in implementation and practicality concerns were discussed.

A Web-Based Stratified Stepped Care Mental Health Platform (TourHeart): Semistructured Interviews With Stakeholders

BackgroundTourHeart, a web-based stratified stepped care mental health platform, is a one-stop solution that integrates psychoeducation and other well-being promotional tools for mental health promotion and mental illness prevention and evidence-based, low-intensity psychological interventions for the treatment of people with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Instead of focusing only on symptom reduction, the platform aims to be person-centered and recovery-oriented, and continual feedback from stakeholders is sought. Understanding the perspectives of users and service providers enables platform developers to fine-tune both the design and content of the services for enhanced service personalization and personal recovery.ObjectiveThis qualitative study evaluated a web-based mental health platform by incorporating the perspectives of both users and service providers who administered the platform and provided coaching services. The platform included both web-based and offline services targeting adults along the mental health spectrum based on the two-continua model of mental health and mental illness.MethodsInterview questions were designed based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework (RE-AIM). Views on offline services, the design of the web-based platform, user experience, and the contents of the platform were explored using semistructured interviews. A total of 27 service users and 22 service providers were recruited using purposive criterion sampling. A hybrid thematic analysis was performed to identify salient aspects of users’ and providers’ experiences with and views of the platform.ResultsTotally, 3 broad themes (namely, the quality of the platform, drivers for platform use, and coaching services) emerged from the interview data that highlighted users’ views of and experiences with the web-based platform. The platform’s general esthetics, operations, and contents were found to be critical features and drivers for continued use. Although coaching services were indispensable, participants preferred the autonomy and anonymity associated with web-based mental health services.ConclusionsThis study highlights the importance of web-based mental health services being easy to navigate and understand, being user-centric, and providing adequate guidance in self-help. It also confirms existing design standards and recommendations and suggests that more rigorous, iterative user experience research and robust evaluation should be conducted in the future adaptation of web-based stratified stepped care services, so that they can be more personalized and better promote personal recovery.

Proppant Packing Near the Fracture Tip during Tip Screenout: Asymptotic Models for Pressure Buildup Calibrated on Field Data and Verified with Two-Continua Simulations

Summary We analyze pressure slopes during buildup when proppant placement into a fracture results in tip screenout (TSO), as observed in real field data on pumping of fracturing jobs. The phenomenon is described by proppant packing and jamming near the fracture tip, leading to TSO. Transient evolution of the zone of packed proppant near the tip and associated additional pressure drop along the packed bank are evaluated. Under the assumption of constant fracture height, the additional pressure drop during TSO grows as t(1+α), where tα is the law of proppant concentration growth (pressure drop grows quadratically in time, if the proppant concentration on surface at the blender grows linearly in time). The model is calibrated on field data from fracturing jobs in Western Siberia, Russia. These approximate models are verified with the two-continua model of proppant transport used to describe the process of proppant packing and jamming near the fracture tip. We also show how predictions of bottomhole pressure (BHP) growth during TSO obtained using proppant transport models implemented into existing hydraulic fracturing simulators can be significantly improved by a reasonable (based on behavior of dense suspensions at the packing limit) modification to parameters, describing suspension shear viscosity.

Performers of the night: Examining the mental health of electronic music artists

Despite growing popular interest for the mental health of electronic music artists, scientific research addressing this topic has remained largely absent. As such, the aim of the current study was to examine the mental health of electronic music artists, as well as a number of determinants. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, a total of 163 electronic music artists participated in this study. In line with the two-continua model of mental health, both symptoms of depression/anxiety and well-being were adopted as indicators for mental health. Furthermore, standardized measures were used to assess potential determinants of mental health, including sleep disturbance, music performance anxiety, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, occupational stress, resilience, and social support. Results highlighted that around 30% of participants experienced symptoms of depression/anxiety. Nevertheless, the majority of these participants still demonstrated at least moderate levels of functioning and well-being. Sleep disturbance formed a significant predictor for both symptoms of depression/anxiety and well-being. Furthermore, resilience and social support were significant predictors for well-being. The results provide a first glimpse into the mental health challenges experienced by electronic music artists and support the need for increased research as well as applied initiatives directed at safeguarding their mental health.

When does geography matter most? Age-specific geographical effects in the patterning of, and relationship between, mental wellbeing and mental illness.

Mental illness and mental wellbeing are related but distinct constructs. Despite this, geographical enquiry often references the two as interchangeable indicators of mental health and assumes the relationship between the two is consistent across different geographical scales. Furthermore, the importance of geography in such research is commonly assumed to be static for all age groups, despite the large body of evidence demonstrating contextual effects in age-specific populations. We leverage simultaneous measurement of a mental illness and mental wellbeing metric from Understanding Society, a UK population-based survey, and employ bivariate, cross-classified multilevel modelling to characterise the relationship between geographical context and mental health. Results provide strong evidence for contextual effects for both responses before and after covariate adjustment, with weaker evidence for area-classification and PSU-level contextual effects for the GHQ-12 after covariate adjustment. Results support a two-continua model of mental health at the individual level, but indicates that consensual benefit may be achieved across both dimensions by intervening at household and regional levels. There is also some evidence of a greater contextual effects for mental wellbeing than for mental illness. Results highlight the potential of the household as a target for intervention design for consensual benefit across both constructs. Results also suggest the increased importance of geographical context for older respondents across both responses. This research supports an area-based approach to improving both mental illness and mental wellbeing in older populations.

Initial Stage of Impregnation and Extraction in Modeling a Porous Medium by a Two-Continua Model

Initial Stage of Impregnation and Extraction in Modeling a Porous Medium by a Two-Continua Model

Rheological Model of Materials with Defects Containing Hydrogen

A two-continua model is constructed which allows one to describe the kinetics of hydrogen in metals. The developed rheological model is appropriate for estimation of the hydrogen transition from mobile to bonded state depending on the stress-state relation and description of the localization of the connected hydrogen that results in the material fracture.

Flourishing in people with depressive symptomatology increases with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Post-hoc analyses of a randomized controlled trial

Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Rather, both well-being (positive mental health) and mental illness are actually two related continua, with higher levels of well-being defined as “flourishing.” This two-continua model and existing studies about the impact of flourishing on psychopathology underscore the need for interventions that enhance flourishing and well-being. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a model of cognitive behavioral therapy that aims not only to reduce psychopathology but also to promote flourishing as well. This is the first study to evaluate the impact of ACT on flourishing. A post-analysis was conducted on an earlier randomized controlled trial of a sample of adults with depressive symptomatology who participated in a guided self-help ACT intervention. This post-analysis showed a 5%–28% increase of flourishing by the participants. In addition, the effects on flourishing were maintained at the three-month follow-up. When compared to participants in a control group, the flourishing of the ACT-trained participants increased from 5% to about 14% after nine weeks. In addition to levels of positive mental health at baseline, an increase of psychological flexibility during the intervention was a significant predictor of flourishing at the three-month follow-up.

The Polish adaptation of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF)

The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) developed by Keyes (2009) is the tool that allows for continuous assessment of subjective well-being (including its three aspects: emotional, psychological, and social), as well as for the categorical diagnosis of the presence of mental health and the absence of mental health (understood as flourishing and languishing). This paper presents the result of the validation and psychometric parameters of the Polish MHC-SF. The participants included 2115 respondents aged 16–81 (55.6% women) from Poland. The findings confirmed the reliability of MHC-SF, external validity, three-dimensional structure of subjective well-being, and supported two-continua model of mental health, where mental health and mental illness are two related but distinguishable dimensions, not at the ends of the same continuum.

The Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC–SF) as a Measure of Well-Being in the Italian Context

We examined the structure, reliability, construct validity, and gender invariance of the Italian version of the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (Italian MHC–SF), a self-report questionnaire for positive mental health assessment developed by Keyes. The scale was administered to 1,438 Italian respondents, mainly from central and southern Italy, between the ages of 18 and 89 years (m = 47.12; SD = 19.56). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factors solution (emotional, psychological, and social) and a latent factor consisting of the three dimensions of well-being, and that the structure of the scale was the same for males and females. Results revealed a high internal reliability and moderate test–retest reliability. The subscales correlated positively with corresponding aspects of well-being and functioning, showing convergent validity. The scale correlated negatively and moderately with measures of mental illness, showing divergent validity. Exploratory factor analysis supported the hypothesis of two separate, but correlated, factors for mental health and mental illness, showing discriminant validity and support for the two-continua model. A categorical diagnosis of the presence of mental health and the absence of mental health was applied to the sample. The Italian MHC–SF is a reliable and valid instrument to measure well-being and the positive aspects of mental health.

Erratum to: Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health

Erratum to: Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health

Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health

The two-continua model of mental health contends that both psychological distress and psychological well-being make related-yet-distinct contributions to our understanding of human health and its relations with other quality of life outcomes. Using self-reported somatization, depression, and anxiety symptoms as indicators of psychological distress and self-reported life satisfaction as an indicator of psychological well-being, the present study classified participants into one of four mental-health-status groups—mentally healthy, mentally unhealthy, symptomatic yet content, or asymptomatic yet discontent—and investigated between-group differences across three key indicators of college student functioning: academic achievement, interpersonal connectedness, and physical health. Findings provide further validation for the two-continua model of mental health among college students, showing that, when considered in conjunction with clinical symptoms, life satisfaction serves as a distinguishing indicator of college students functioning across academic, social, and physical health domains—as well as a strong predictor of the absence or presence of clinical symptoms and comorbidity. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

A feasibility study of psychological strengths and well-being assessment in individuals living with recurrent depression

Current conceptualizations of mental illness focus on assessing psychopathology. A balanced approach would assess strengths that individuals bring to coping with illness. This study measures psychological strengths in individuals with recurrent depression, their coping strategies, and their perceptions of the usefulness of strengths assessment as a component of psychological assessment. Individuals (N = 112) with recurrent depression completed an online questionnaire measuring several psychological strengths, including gratitude, forgiveness, spirituality, and hope. Participants also described their use of coping strategies and their reaction to the utility of the two-continua model of mental health. A subset (n = 10) completed a follow-up telephone interview. Higher levels of gratitude, self-forgiveness, hope, and spirituality and lower levels of optimism were indicative of higher life satisfaction. Self-forgiveness, spirituality, and gratitude were predictors of happiness. Higher levels of hope and self-forgiveness predicted positive affect whereas lower levels of self-forgiveness predicted negative affect. Participants reported using a range of coping resources and indicated that they valued strengths assessment, perceiving the two-continua model of mental health as empowering. The researcher discusses implications for clinical practice.

Two-continua model of suspension flow in a hydraulic fracture

Two-continua model of suspension flow in a hydraulic fracture

Evaluation of the mental health continuum–short form (MHC–SF) in setswana‐speaking South Africans

A continuous assessment and a categorical diagnosis of the presence of mental health, described as flourishing, and the absence of mental health, characterized as languishing, is applied to a random sample of 1050 Setswana-speaking adults in the Northwest province of South Africa. Factor analysis revealed that the mental health continuum-short form (MHC-SF) replicated the three-factor structure of emotional, psychological and social well-being found in US samples. The internal reliability of the overall MHC-SF Scale was 0.74. The total score on the MHC-SF correlated 0.52 with a measure of positive affect, between 0.35 and 0.40 with measures of generalized self-efficacy and satisfaction with life, and between 0.30 and 0.35 with measures of coping strategies, sense of coherence, and community collective self-efficacy. The total score on the MHC-SF correlated -0.22 with the total score on the General Health Questionnaire. Criteria for the categorical diagnosis were applied, and findings revealed that 20% were flourishing, 67.8% were moderately mentally healthy, and 12.2% were languishing. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized two-continua model of mental health and mental illness found in the USA.

Studies of Ordered Monodisperse Latexes. II. Theory of Mechanical Properties

The electrostatic potential around a particle in an ordered latex under a deformation is numerically calculated form the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation by an eccentric cell model. The static rigidity of an ordered latex and the order-disorder Lindemann's law of the crystal melting are obtained from the calculated potential. The calculated phase diagram agrees with the experimental phase diagram of Hachisu et al. The Debye-Hückel approximation turns out to be invalid at low ionic concentrations. On the basis of a two-continua model and the calculated static rigidity, propagation of shear waves in an ordered latex is studied and the existence of two kinds of modes is shown. The dynamical complex rigidity is calculated from the mechanical impedance at an oscillating plate. The results agree with the experiment reported in a previous paper.