title: Positive mental health in outpatients: comparison within diagnostic groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive mental health (PMH) supplements the definition of mental health which is not just the mere absence of mental illness. It encompasses an individual's social, emotional and psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study examines the PMH levels in a multi-ethnic outpatient population and the socio-demographic correlates of PMH across the various diagnostic groups. In addition comparisons with the general population were conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum, depressive or anxiety disorders seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric care hospital were included in the study sample. All respondents completed the PMH instrument. Independent t-tests and ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to establish differences between the PMH levels and domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and sixty outpatients with a mean age of 39.2 years were included in the study. 52.5% were younger adults (21-39 years). There were slightly more males (50.8%) and 56.1% of the sample was unemployed. PMH scores differed between the patient and general populations. There were significant associations of the PMH domains with socio-demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, gender and education status in the patient population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PMH can be viewed as a protective factor of mental illnesses. As such it is critical that mental health professionals examine the domains of PMH in individuals with mental illnesses. This will in turn allow them to develop coping strategies that can look into focusing on emotional, psychological and social well-being appropriately to allow these individuals to thrive.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore. rajeswari_sambasivam@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Rajeswari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sambasivam
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Janhavi Ajit
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vaingankar
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Siow Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Edimansyah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdin
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeyagurunathan
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lee Seng Esmond
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shirlene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Mythily
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012846:Singapore; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Multi-ethnic; Outpatients; PMH; Positive mental health; Well-being