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Adaptation into Spanish of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and preliminary validation in a student sample

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Abstract

Purpose

There is growing interest in the assessment of positive mental health as a global indicator of societal wealth. We aimed to adapt the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (WEMWBS) into Spanish and to perform a preliminary evaluation of its metric properties.

Methods

Forward and back-translations and cognitive debriefing were carried out. University students (n = 148) were recruited to evaluate the final Spanish version, following the UK original study. Distribution of WEMWBS responses, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and factor structure were assessed.

Results

Only 4 (out of 14) items of the initial Spanish version were not rated as conceptually and linguistically equivalent to the original and were modified. The final version was clear and comprehensible. Global score’s Cronbach’s alpha (0.90), item-total score correlations (0.44–0.76), and test–retest ICC (0.84) were all satisfactory. Moderate to high correlations (r = 0.45–0.70) were observed between the WEMWBS and validity scales. Preliminary confirmatory factor analyses did not support the hypothesis of a single factor.

Conclusions

A conceptually equivalent Spanish version of the WEMWBS was obtained with high internal consistency, good test–retest reliability, and similar construct validity as the original instrument. Further validity and factorial studies are necessary in larger and more heterogeneous samples.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

CFA:

Confirmatory factor analysis

EFA:

Exploratory factor analysis

EQ-5D VAS:

EuroQol Health Status Visual Analogue Scale

GLS:

Global Life Satisfaction Scale

PANAS-PA/NA:

Positive and negative affect scales

SWLS:

Satisfaction with Life Scale

WEMWBS:

Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale

WHO-5:

WHO Well-being Index

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Acknowledgments

Dr C. G. F. is financed by a Juan de la Cierva FSE (JCI-2009-05486) research grant. Additional support includes: a grant from DIUE of Generalitat de Catalunya (2009 SGR 1095) and the support of Subdirecció General de Drogodependències, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain. The authors specially thank the University of Pompeu Fabra and the participants who took part in the study. We are indebted to Angels Pont and Oriol Cunillera for assistance in management of questionnaires and databases. We also thank Carme Gasull for her assistance in manuscript preparation.

Conflict of interest

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain

    María Andrée López, Andrea Gabilondo & Jordi Alonso

  2. Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Carrer del Doctor Aiguader, 88, Edifici PRBB, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    María Andrée López, Carlos García-Forero, Gemma Vilagut, Pere Castellví, Montse Ferrer & Jordi Alonso

  3. Program of Substance Abuse and Prevention and Promotion in Mental Health, Catalan Department of Health (GENCAT), Roc Boronat 81-95, 08005, Barcelona, Spain

    Miquel Codony

  4. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España, Spain

    Carlos García-Forero, Gemma Vilagut, Montse Ferrer & Jordi Alonso

  5. Outpatient Public Mental Health Network in Gipuzkoa (Osakidetza), Sancho El Sabio 35, 20010, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain

    Andrea Gabilondo

Authors
  1. María Andrée López
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  2. Andrea Gabilondo
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  3. Miquel Codony
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  4. Carlos García-Forero
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  5. Gemma Vilagut
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  7. Montse Ferrer
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  8. Jordi Alonso
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Correspondence to Jordi Alonso.

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López, M.A., Gabilondo, A., Codony, M. et al. Adaptation into Spanish of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and preliminary validation in a student sample. Qual Life Res 22, 1099–1104 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0238-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0238-z

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