Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Measuring population mental health and social well-being

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

This paper examines the relationships between indicators of positive and negative dimensions of mental health, social well-being and physical health.

Methods

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achtmeyer C (2003) Frequently asked questions about audit-C for clinicians 9/5/03. www.oqp.med.va.gov/general/uploads/FAQ%20AUDIT-C%20for%20clinicians.doc. Accessed May 2011

  • Barry MM, Friedli L (2008) The influence of social, demographic and physical factors on positive mental health in children, adults and older people. In: Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project. State-of-Science Review: SR-B3. Government Office of Science and Innovation, London, UK

  • Barry MM, van Lente E, Molcho M, Morgan K, McGee H, Conroy R, Watson D, Shelley E, Perry I, SLÁN 2007 (2009) Mental Health and Social Well-being Report. Department of Health and Children, Dublin

  • Blake C, Codd MB, O’Meara YM (2000) The short form 36 (SF-36) health survey: normative data for the Irish population. Ir J Med Sci 169(3):195–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braunholtz S, Scotland Social Research (2007) Well? What Do You Think? (2006): The Third National Scottish Survey of Public Attitudes to Mental Health, Mental Wellbeing and Mental Health Problems. Scottish Government Social Research, Edinburgh

  • Brevik JI, Dalgard OS (1996) The Health Profile Inventory. University of Oslo, Oslo

  • Callan T, Nolan B, Whelan BJ, Whelan CT, Williams J (1996) Poverty in the 90 s: evidence from the 1994 Living in Ireland survey. Oak Tree Press, Dublin

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalgard OS, Dowrick C, Lehtinen V, Vazquez-Barquero JL, Casey P, Wilkinson G, Ayuso-Mateos JL, Page H, Dunn G (2006) Negative life events, social support and gender difference in depression: a multinational community survey with data from the ODIN study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 41(6):444–451

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dear K, Henderson S, Korten A (2002) Well-being in Australia—findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37(11):503–509

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2005) Improving the mental health of the population: Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union. Green Paper. Health and Consumer Protection Directorate, European Commission, Brussels

  • European Commission (2006) Eurostat, The core group on health interview survey (HIS): European health interview survey (Ehis) questionnaire. http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_information/implement/wp/systems/docs/ev_20070315_ehis_en.pdf. Accesssed May 2011

  • European Opinion Research Group (2003) The mental health status of the European population. http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/mental_eurobaro.pdf. Accessed May 2011

  • Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008) Final Project Report. The Government Office for Science, London

  • Friedli L (2009) Mental health, resilience and inequalities. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen

  • Friedli L, Parsonage M (2007) Building an economic case for mental health promotion: part I. J Public Ment Health 6(3):14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagströmer M, Oja P, Sjöström M (2007) The international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ): a study of concurrent and construct validity. Public Health Nutr 9(6):755–762

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrington J, Perry IJ, Lutomski J, Fitzgerald AP, Sheily F, McGee H, Barry MM, Van Lente E, Morgan K, Shelley E (2010) Living longer and feeling better: healthy lifestyle, self-rated health, obesity and depression in Ireland. Eur J Public Health 20(1):91–95

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison E, Rose D (2006) The European socio-economic classification (ESeC) user guide. Institute for Social and Economic Research http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/files/esec/guide/docs/UserGuide.pdf. Accessed May 2011

  • Hennessy C, Moriarty D, Zack M, Scherr P, Brackbill R (1994) Measuring health-related quality of life for public health surveillance. Public Health Rep 109(5):665–672

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huppert FA, Whittington JE (2003) Evidence for the independence of positive and negative well-being: implications for quality of life assessment. Br J Health Psychol 2003(8):107–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson C, Coulter A, Wright L (1993) Short form-36 (Sf-36) health survey questionnaire—normative data for adults of working age. BMJ 306(6890):1437–1440

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler RC (2007) The global burden of anxiety and mood disorders: putting the European study of the epidemiology of mental disorders (ESEMeD) findings into perspective. J Clin Psychiatry 68(Suppl 2):10–19

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes CLM (2002) The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life. J Health Soc Behav 43(2):207–222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes CLM (2005) Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health. J Consulr Clin Psychol 73(3):539–548

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kovess V, Beaudet M (2001) Concepts and measurement of positive mental health. Psychiatria Fennica 32(Supp 2):14–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavikainen J, Fryers T, Lehtinen V (2006) Improving mental health information in Europe. Proposal of the MINDFUL project (ed). STAKES, Helsinki

  • Lehtinen V, Sohlman B, Kovess-Masfety V (2005) Level of positive mental health in the European union: Results from the Eurobarometer 2002 survey. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 1:9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Macintyre S, Annandale E, Ecob R, Ford G, Hunt K, Jamieson B, MacIver S (1989) The west of Scotland twenty-07 study: health in the community. In: Martin C, McQueen D (eds) Readings for a new public health. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, pp 56–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Melzer D, Fryers T, Jenkins R (2004) Social inequalities and the distribution of common mental disorders (eds). Maudsley Monograph 44, Psychology Press, Hove and New York

  • Morgan K, McGee H, Watson D, Perry I, Barry MM, Shelley E, Harrington J, Molcho M, Layte R, Tully N, van Lente E, Ward M, Lutomski J, Conroy R, Brugha R (2008) SLÁN 2007: Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition in Ireland. Main Report. Department of Health and Children, Dublin (www.slan07.ie)

  • Nieboer P, Buijs C, Rodenhuis S, Seynaeve C, Beex LVAM, van der Wall E, Richel DJ, Nooij MA, Voest EE, Hupperets P et al (2005) Fatigue and relating factors in high-risk breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant standard or high-dose chemotherapy: a longitudinal study. J Clin Oncol 23(33):8296–8304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prince M, Patel V, Saxena S, Maj M, Maselko J, Phillips MR, Rahman A (2007) No health without mental health. Lancet 370:859–877

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor M, Brice J, Buck N, Prentice-Lane E (2005) British household panel survey user manual volume A: introduction, technical report and appendices. University of Essex, Colchester

  • Ware JE, Snow KK, Kosinski M, Gandek B (1993) SF-36 health survey: manual and interpretation guide. The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA

  • Williams SM, Saxena S, McQueen DV (2005) The momentum for mental health promotion. Promot Educ (Suppl 2):6–9

  • World Health Organization (2002) Prevention and promotion in mental health. Mental Health: Evidence and Research. Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence. World Health Organization, Geneva

  • World Health Organization (2003) Investing in mental health. Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health. World Health Organization, Geneva

  • World Health Organization (2005) Mental health action plan for Europe. Facing the challenges, building solutions. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (2008) Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization, Geneva

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the SLÁN 2007 Consortium members for their contribution to this research. Consortium members: Professor Ivan Perry, University College Cork UCC), Dr. Emer Shelley, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Professor Ronán Conroy (RCSI), Professor Ruairí Brugha (RCSI), Professor Richard Layte, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Ms Nuala Tully (RCSI), Ms Jennifer Lutomski (UCC) and Mr Mark Ward (RCSI). This study was funded by the Department of 508 Health and Children, Dublin

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margaret M. Barry.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Van Lente, E., Barry, M.M., Molcho, M. et al. Measuring population mental health and social well-being. Int J Public Health 57, 421–430 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0317-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0317-x

Keywords

Navigation