© 1998 Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom
research-article |
Psychological health and well-being: why and how should public health specialists measure it? Part 1: rationale and methods of the investigation, and review of psychiatric epidemiology
Christopher J. Bartlett, Research and Development Specialist
Edward C. Coles, Head of Department
Welsh Combined Centres for Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine Abton House, Wedal Road, Cardiff CF4 3QX.
Department of Medical Computing and Statistics, University of Wales College of Medicine Heath Park, Heath, Cardiff CF4 4XN
Address correspondence to Dr C. J. Bartlett, Division of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, 41 St Michael's Hill, Bristol BS2 8DZ
BACKGROUND: There are cogent reasons why public health specialists should take an active interest in and measure the psychological health and well-being of populations. The literature was searched and reviewed with the aim of evaluating survey instruments that would enable public health specialists to measure the psychological health and well-being of populations.
METHODS: The search and review were restricted to instruments that were applicable to adults of working age, and that did not focus on psychotic disorder or organic brain disorder. An attempt was also made to identify instruments that were designed to measure some form of positive well-being and could be applied in population-based surveys. Detailed evaluation was then carried out of two or three instruments that appeared representative of a particular field or approach.
RESULTS: The literature search revealed three major fields of research, ‘Psychiatric Epidemiology’, ‘Stress Studies’ and ‘Subjective Well-being’. Accordingly, the results of the review are presented under these three headings. Results pertaining to commonly used survey instruments in the field of ‘Psychiatric Epidemiology’ are presented. (Those on ‘Stress Studies’ and ‘Subjective Well-being’ are presented in Part 2 of this study).
CONCLUSIONS: Although some questionnaires in the field of ‘Psychiatric Epidemiology’, such as the General Health Questionnaire and the HAD Scale, offer a valid and convenient means of measuring degrees of neurotic disorder in a population, they do not measure any form of positive well-being. In Part 2, methods of measurement from the other two fields are reviewed and overall conclusions are drawn about the options available to public health specialists.
Keywords: psychiatric epidemiology, positive health, population health, survey instruments