Abstract
Background
The relationship between well-being and mental ill health is complex; people may experience very low levels of well-being even in the absence of overt mental health problems.
Aims
This study tested the hypothesis that anxiety, depression and well-being have different causal determinants and psychological mediating mechanisms.
Method
The influence of causal and mediating factors on anxiety, depression and well-being were investigated in a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey hosted on a UK national broadcasting website.
Results
Multivariate conditional independence analysis of data from 27 397 participants revealed different association pathways for the two constructs. Anxiety and depression were associated with negative life events mediated by rumination; low levels of subjective well-being were associated with material deprivation and social isolation, mediated by adaptive coping style.
Conclusions
Our findings support the 'two continua' model of the relationship between psychological well-being and mental health problems, with implications for both treatment and prevention.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 456-460 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | The British Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 206 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2015 |
Keywords
- adolescent
- adult
- aged
- aged, 80 and over
- anxiety disorders
- depressive Disorder
- female
- humans
- interpersonal relations
- life change events
- male
- middle aged
- surveys and questionnaires
- thinking
- United Kingdom
- young adult
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Matthias Schwannauer
- School of Health in Social Science - Professor of Clinical Psychology
- Edinburgh Neuroscience
- Centre for Applied Developmental Psychology (CADP)
Person: Academic: Research Active