Search

The key concern of this study is to develop a tool to measure positive mental health among young people, explore its correlates and develop a model that can be used by the policy-makers to formulate supportive and evidence-based policy for mental health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – A public health approach for promoting mental health has become a major health policy agenda of many governments. Despite this worldwide attention on research addressing population mental health and general wellbeing, very little is heard on positive mental health from the low-and middle-income countries. This paper aims to present an attempt to develop a model of positive mental health among young people. This could be used for integrating the concept of positive mental health (PMH) into public health interventions. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the state of Kerala, India. The paper administered the “Achutha Menon Centre Positive Mental health Scale” to a sample of 453 (230 men and 223 women) in the age group 18-24, along with an interview schedule exploring the relationship of PMH with many explanatory variables such as sex, beliefs, religion, education, employment and social capital. The paper developed an input path model through a series of multiple regressions explaining the levels of PMH in the community, which was then tested statistically (using AMOS version 7.0). The input model was created by identifying the determinants and correlates of PMH based on their predictive power on the outcome variable, the PMH score. The input diagram was used to test the model fit of the data. Findings – The path model (Figure 1) clearly specified the determinants of PMH. Among them, the variables that have a direct determinant effect on PMH are: quality of home learning environment, employment status, education status, marital status, self-perception on possession of skills, happiness with life, membership in social organizations and socializing capability. Research limitations/implications – In this study, path model is used to confirm relationships among observed and latent variables. The path diagram assesses the comparative strength of the correlations between the variables and does not test the directionality. Or, the model itself cannot prove causation. Practical implications – Determinants of PMH those are amenable to interventions as well as those which help in recognizing characteristic groups for intervention could help to plan future intervention programs. Originality/value – Original paper based on primary data collected through a cross-sectional survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors developed a scale for positive mental health (PMH), which encompasses positive state of mind and positive functioning. The existing tools are inadequate to measure the construct, especially in a community where the self-statement format of a scale is difficult to internalize. The authors constructed a tool from an initial item pool with the help of experts and validated it in a sample of 326 young people in the state of Kerala, India. Factor analysis gave 4 underlying factors for the construct of PMH. The scale (mean = 67.41 ± 9.49) has Cronbach’s α value of .76 and test–retest correlation of .84. Convergent validity with the PMH Inventory is .864; discriminant validity with the Mental Health Inventory is .422. The findings prove that the scale, named the Achutha Menon Centre Positive Mental Health Scale, is reliable and valid and can be used in both individual- and population-based studies for measuring PMH. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]