Clarifying the factor structure of the mental health continuum short form in three languages: a bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling approach

Abstract

The Mental Health Continuum Short Form measures both the private and public aspects of overall positive mental health. This study explored the factor structure of English (n = 324), Afrikaans (n = 476), and Setswana (n = 258) versions of the scale among culturally diverse South African students. A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling model displayed superior fit, with the overall scale but not the subscales attaining sufficient reliability. The “social integration” and “social contribution” items appeared to provide a better representation of overall mental health (and psychological well-being for social integration) than the intended social well-being dimension, and the psychological well-being items mainly represented general mental health in the African group. These findings suggest the need for a culturally sensitive clarification of the private to public continuum in the conceptualization and manifestation of eudaimonic well-being. The scale exhibited partial scalar invariance across the groups