Abstract
This study examines the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form (MHC-SF) as a multi-dimensional measure of positive mental health, in a large, gender-balanced population-based sample. The sample was 2887 participants in New Zealand. 50.7% were females, and the average age was 50.87 (SD = 17.58). Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the MHC-SF and tests of convergent validity. Measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender, age, and ethnicity were also investigated. To measure reliability, internal consistency was assessed. Analyses supported the correlated three-factor structure of the MHC-SF (emotional, psychological and social well-being) (RMSEA = .053; CFI = .95; SRMR = .035). Configural invariance was supported across gender, age and ethnicity. Scalar invariance was supported across gender, and partial scalar invariance was supported across age and ethnicity. Convergent validity of the scale was supported. The scale and each sub-scale had internal consistency coefficients above .70. Results confirm well-being as a multi-dimensional construct and the MHC-SF as an appropriate instrument to measure positive mental health for individuals and the population in New Zealand.
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Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge participants, the interviewers, and the study project team, led by Patricia Meagher-Lundberg. We also acknowledge the representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Accident Compensation Corporation, the New Zealand Police, and the Ministry of Education, who were part of the Governance Group for Family and Sexual Violence at the inception of the study.
This study is based on the WHO Violence Against Women Instrument as developed for use in the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence and has been adapted from the version used in Asia and the Pacific by kNOwVAWdata Version 12.03. It adheres to the WHO ethical guidelines for the conduct of violence against women research.
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We received funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Contract number CONT-42799-HASTR-UOA.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data acquisition was supported by Associate Professor Janet Fanslow, Dr. Pauline Gulliver and Dr. Ladan Hashemi. Data analysis and interpretation were performed by Setayesh Pir, Professor Janet Fanslow, Dr. Pauline Gulliver and Dr. Ladan Hashemi. Funding acquisition: Associate Professor Janet Fanslow and Dr. Pauline Gulliver. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Setayesh Pir and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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We declare that there is no conflict of interest. The funding organisation had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
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Pir, S., Hashemi, L., Gulliver, P. et al. Psychometric evaluation of the mental health continuum-short form (MHC-SF) in a New Zealand context – a confirmatory factor analysis. Curr Psychol 42, 11170–11183 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02401-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02401-3