Positive mental health

 

Positive mental health (mental wellbeing) is a resource and an integral part of health and wellbeing. It is also important for an individual’s wellbeing and functional capacity. Several concepts are used to refer to positive mental health, but what they have in common is that they stress, with different emphases, the importance of the individual's

• mental resources (e.g. the ability to overcome adversities),
• opportunities to influence his or her own life,
• optimism and sense of being in control of his or her own life,
• social relationships that produce satisfaction, and
• positive self-image and positive attitude to his or her personal development possibilities (e.g. good self-esteem).

Positive mental health can be understood as various levels of emotional (feelings), psychological (positive actions), social (relationships with others and society), physical (physical health and fitness) and spiritual (the sense that life has a meaning) wellbeing.

The concept of positive mental health is aimed at moving the focus away from illnesses and problems. It is based on the idea that positive mental health is more than the absence of mental health disorders. Positive mental health can be developed despite the existence of a mental health disorder. The figure below clarifies the diversity of mental health and mental wellbeing.

 

Positive mental health has been found to associate with better physical health, a better quality of life, higher achievements at school and positive health behaviour.

Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale

The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) has been developed to measure positive mental health and wellbeing. The scale was developed by the universities of Warwick and Edinburgh and there are two versions of it: the long 14-item scale (WEMWBS) and the short 7-item scale (SWEMWBS). Both scales have been translated into Finnish through a double-translation process and their use is managed by the mental health promotion team of THL's Mental Health Unit.

License is sought from the University of Warwick. The permit application can be found on the following page
Warwick Medical School

For more information on the scale and its use, contact THL’s mental health promotion team.

Pia Solin
Chief Specialist
tel. 029 524 7332
[email protected]