Self-reflection and screening mental health on Canadian campuses: validation of the mental health continuum model

Abstract

Background: This study describes the psychometric testing of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC) model the Canadian Department of National Defense developed initially, among undergraduates of three Canadian universities. The MHC is a tool that consists of 6 items to guide students the way to attend to, or monitor, signs and behavior indicators of their mental health status and suggest appropriate actions to improve their mental health. Methods: Online survey data were collected from 4206 undergraduate students in three universities in two Canadian provinces during the spring of 2015 and winter of 2016. Participants completed an online survey questionnaire that consisted of the MHC questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), and demographic information, including age, gender, and year of study. Results: Factor analysis using the principal components method followed by a two-step internal replication analysis showed that the MHC tool was two-dimensional and that all six domains assessed were crucial. The construct (convergent) validity of the MHC tool was tested against the K-10, and the correlation analysis results were strong overall, as well as within subgroups defined by gender, year of study, and university. Conclusions: The MHC is a useful tool that helps college students reflect on and enhance their mental health.

Let's Talk About Mental Health and Mental Disorders in Elite Sports: A Narrative Review of Theoretical Perspectives

“…Continuum models of mental health have become increasingly promoted in the sport psychology literature among researchers studying elite athletes' mental health (e.g., Schinke et al, 2017 ; Moesch et al, 2018 ; Purcell et al, 2019 ). These continuum models rest on the idea that individuals can move bidirectionally along a single mental health–mental disorder continuum (e.g., Haggerty and Mrazek, 1994 ; Chen et al, 2020 ). Mental health indicators usually range from (a) normal variations in mood and psychological and social activity, through (b) normal emotional or behavioral reactions to life-situations (e.g., being nervous, sad, decreased social activity), to (c) increased levels of psychological harm or injury (e.g., anxiety, reduced performance, pervasive sadness, difficulties concentrating, social withdrawal), and finally (d) mental illness in terms of diagnosable psychiatric conditions (e.g., Chen et al, 2020 ).…”

“…These continuum models rest on the idea that individuals can move bidirectionally along a single mental health–mental disorder continuum (e.g., Haggerty and Mrazek, 1994 ; Chen et al, 2020 ). Mental health indicators usually range from (a) normal variations in mood and psychological and social activity, through (b) normal emotional or behavioral reactions to life-situations (e.g., being nervous, sad, decreased social activity), to (c) increased levels of psychological harm or injury (e.g., anxiety, reduced performance, pervasive sadness, difficulties concentrating, social withdrawal), and finally (d) mental illness in terms of diagnosable psychiatric conditions (e.g., Chen et al, 2020 ). Some models also suggest interventions aimed at risk-reduction for mental illness symptoms (i.e., prevention) at one extreme of the continuum and treatment and relapse prevention conducted in clinical care at the opposite end (Haggerty and Mrazek, 1994 ; Purcell et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Closely related to single-continuum models are stage models, in which the heterogeneity of mental health or disorders are displayed stepwise; for example, from wellness to distress and thereafter to clinical disorders of various severities (Patel, 2017 ). Overall, these models target various symptoms and generally promote the use of self-care and health-related actions (e.g., sleep, nutrition, recovery, seeking low-intensity support from family and friends) when early and mild symptoms appear, and appropriate psychological interventions or psychiatric care in cases where symptoms are severe and in need of clinical treatment (Patel, 2017 ; Chen et al, 2020 ).…”

Understanding the psychiatric symptoms of COVID-19: a meta-analysis of studies assessing psychiatric symptoms in Chinese patients with and survivors of COVID-19 and SARS by using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised

“…Despite having first-hand data on a variety of mental disorders, mental disorder surveys have provided little information on subclinical psychiatric symptoms of COVID-19. According to the mental health continuum model, psychiatric symptoms are early signs of mental disorders, and persons with long-lasting and severe symptoms are more likely to develop mental disorders 11 . Therefore, the assessment and identification of psychiatric symptoms have clinical implications for early psychological interventions for COVID-19 patients.…”

Neuropsychological Symptom Identification and Classification in the Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients During the First Wave of the Pandemic in a Front-Line Spanish Tertiary Hospital

“…The pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS)-CoV-2, has triggered a deep transformation of societies, with more than 240 million individuals infected worldwide (1) and 3.5 million in Spain (2). Researchers have turned their efforts in the prevention, etiopathology, risk factors, clinical symptoms, treatment, and prognosis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), and the scientific production has increased accordingly in just 1 year (3). Numerous studies have focused on identifying short-term physical complications derived from the disease, such as thromboembolisms or pulmonary fibrosis, for instance (4).…”