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Enduring mental health: Prevalence and prediction.
- Source :
-
Journal of Abnormal Psychology . Feb2017, Vol. 126 Issue 2, p212-224. 13p. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- We review epidemiological evidence indicating that most people will develop a diagnosable mental disorder, suggesting that only a minority experience enduring mental health. This minority has received little empirical study, leaving the prevalence and predictors of enduring mental health unknown. We turn to the population-representative Dunedin cohort, followed from birth to midlife, to compare people never-diagnosed with mental disorder (N = 171; 17% prevalence) to those diagnosed at 1-2 study waves, the cohort mode (N = 409). Surprisingly, compared to this modal group, never-diagnosed Study members were not born into unusually well-to-do families, nor did their enduring mental health follow markedly sound physical health, or unusually high intelligence. Instead, they tended to have an advantageous temperament/personality style, and negligible family history of mental disorder. As adults, they report superior educational and occupational attainment, greater life satisfaction, and higher-quality relationships. Our findings draw attention to "enduring mental health" as a revealing psychological phenotype and suggest it deserves further study. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0021843X
- Volume :
- 126
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Abnormal Psychology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 123550091
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000232