P Kinderman1, M Schwannauer, E Pontin, S Tai. 1. Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Waterhouse Building, 2nd Floor Block B, Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GL, UK. p.kinderman@liverpool.ac.uk
Abstract
PURPOSE: The concept of maximising well-being, as opposed to merely treating mental disorder, is a powerful current theme in the area of mental health. Clearly this emphasises the need for appropriate valid and reliable measures of general well-being. This paper examines the appropriateness of a number of measures in this area and concludes that existing assessment tools fail to address the full range of aspects of personal well-being. This paper therefore presents the psychometric properties, validity and reliability of a new measure of well-being-the BBC Well-being Scale. METHODS: A total of 1,940 participants completed the new measure, the Goldberg scales of anxiety and depression, the 'List of Threatening Experiences' life events scale, a modified version of the Response Styles Questionnaire and a modified version of the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire presented via the internet. RESULTS: Exploratory factor-analysis suggested a three-factor solution including themes of psychological well-being, physical health and well-being and relationships. The total 24-item scale had good internal consistency (α = .935) and correlated significantly with key demographic variables and measures of concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The new measure--the BBC Well-being Scale-is recommended for research and clinical purposes.
PURPOSE: The concept of maximising well-being, as opposed to merely treating mental disorder, is a powerful current theme in the area of mental health. Clearly this emphasises the need for appropriate valid and reliable measures of general well-being. This paper examines the appropriateness of a number of measures in this area and concludes that existing assessment tools fail to address the full range of aspects of personal well-being. This paper therefore presents the psychometric properties, validity and reliability of a new measure of well-being-the BBC Well-being Scale. METHODS: A total of 1,940 participants completed the new measure, the Goldberg scales of anxiety and depression, the 'List of Threatening Experiences' life events scale, a modified version of the Response Styles Questionnaire and a modified version of the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire presented via the internet. RESULTS: Exploratory factor-analysis suggested a three-factor solution including themes of psychological well-being, physical health and well-being and relationships. The total 24-item scale had good internal consistency (α = .935) and correlated significantly with key demographic variables and measures of concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The new measure--the BBC Well-being Scale-is recommended for research and clinical purposes.
Authors: John Beddington; Cary L Cooper; John Field; Usha Goswami; Felicia A Huppert; Rachel Jenkins; Hannah S Jones; Tom B L Kirkwood; Barbara J Sahakian; Sandy M Thomas Journal: Nature Date: 2008-10-23 Impact factor: 49.962
Authors: Ruth Tennant; Louise Hiller; Ruth Fishwick; Stephen Platt; Stephen Joseph; Scott Weich; Jane Parkinson; Jenny Secker; Sarah Stewart-Brown Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2007-11-27 Impact factor: 3.186