The structure of mental health: Higher-order confirmatory factor analyses of psychological distress and well-being measures

This paper addresses the question of whether psychological distress and sub jective well-being are the opposite poles of the same axis of mental health or independent constructs that should be measured on two independent axes. The measures used in this study originate from a preliminary ethnosemantic study and the content analysis of narratives of psychological distress and well-being episodes experienced by a random sample of francophone Quebecer s (Canada). Two scales were produced: a Psychological Distress Manifestatio n Scale (PDMS) based on 23 items and four factors (Anxiety/Depression, Irri tability, Self-Depreciation, and Social Disengagement), and a Psychological Well-Being Manifestation Scale with 25 items and six factors (Self-Esteem, Social Involvement, Mental Balance, Control of Self and Events, Sociabilit y, and Happiness). Structural equation modeling analyses confirm that these 10 factors can be viewed as components of two correlated dimensions (psych ological distress and well-being) (r = -0.65) of a two-dimensional latent c onstruct which reflects a higher-order concept of mental health. We conclud e that assessment of mental health in general populations should use concom itant measures of psychological distress and well-being.