title: Positive mental health in outpatients with affective disorders: Associations with life satisfaction and general functioning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive mental health (PMH) is an integral and essential component of health that encompasses emotional, psychological and social well-being. The Keyes' two continua model of mental health and illness posits that mental health status is not merely the absence of mental health problems, and it can be enhanced regardless of a diagnosis of mental illness. The present study hypothesized that mentally ill patients with higher levels of PMH would be associated with better life satisfaction and general functioning.
  
  
  METHODS
  218 outpatients with affective disorders at a tertiary psychiatric hospital were recruited and administered the multidimensional Positive Mental Health instrument, which was validated and developed in Singapore to measure PMH. Depression and anxiety severity were also assessed. Associations of positive mental health with life satisfaction and general functioning were investigated in linear regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PMH scores varied largely within patients with depressive and anxiety disorders but did not differ statistically across the two diagnoses, except for emotional support. PMH was associated with both life satisfaction and general functioning with little evidence of confounding by sociodemographic and clinical status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional design of the study could not examine causal relationships. Findings may be restrictive to treatment-seeking population with specific affective disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides evidence to support the notion that a good mental health state is not simply the absence of a mental disorder. Mentally ill patients can also have high levels of PMH that possibly have a moderating or mediating effect on the relationship between patients' clinical symptoms and life satisfaction or general functioning.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: esmond_LS_SEOW@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Lee Seng Esmond
authors.initials: LSE
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Janhavi Ajit
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vaingankar
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Edimansyah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdin
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Rajeswari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sambasivam
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeyagurunathan
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shirlene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Siow Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: Mythily
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult