The Mental Health Continuum by Keyes in Italian context: Mental Health and Mental Illness in the young, adults, and older people

According to the Mental Health Continuum (MHC) by Keyes people are placed along a continuum that ranges from presence (Flourishing) to absence of well-being (Languishing). A lot of studies focused on MHC in adults and adolescents (Africans, Americans, Northern Europeans). The aims of this study were to test the applicability of the MHC by Keyes in the Italian context and to investigate the relationships between the Positive Mental Health and Mental Illness (Two Continua Model). 1.438 people, get involved in the research. They aged between 18 and 89 years (M = 47.12 years, SD = 19.9; combined into young, people in midlife, and older people) and equally divided by gender. Participants were administered a self-report questionnaire that included, in addition to the Italian Mental Health Continuum - Short Form, scales designed to detect psychosocial variables. The results showed that 31% of participants had a positive mental health (Flourishing), 11% of participants did not have positive mental health (Languishing) and the majority (58%) had moderate mental health. In line with previous studies, the Flourishing (and those who have moderate mental health) have low levels of psychological distress, they are not depressed and do not report psychological and physical symptoms. The study also highlights significant differences by gender and age. These findings support the validity of the MHC in Italian context. They provide a contribution to the development of health promotion programs for special target of population - women, the young and elderly - in which mental health is compromised.

Keywords: Mental Health Continuum, Positive Mental Health, Mental Illness, well-being, life span

• Community Trust: A Social Indicator Related to Community Engagement Immacolata Di Napoli, Pasquale Dolce, Caterina Arcidiacono, in Social Indicators Research /2019 pp.551
  DOI: 10.1007/s11205-019-02114-y
• Psychological Lockdown Experiences: Downtime or an Unexpected Time for Being? Fortuna Procentese, Ciro Esposito, Florencia Gonzalez Leone, Barbara Agueli, Caterina Arcidiacono, Maria Francesca Freda, Immacolata Di Napoli, in Frontiers in Psychology 577089/2021
  DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.577089
• Predictors of life satisfaction in a large representative sample from Italy Vincenza Capone, Mohsen Joshanloo, Heinz Scheifinger, in Current Psychology /2021 pp.3609
  DOI: 10.1007/s12144-019-00305-x
• L'uso di Internet e il benessere psicosociale in adolescenza: uno studio correlazionale Daniela Caso, in PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE 2/2015 pp.141
  DOI: 10.3280/PDS2015-002008
• Mental health in teachers: Relationships with job satisfaction, efficacy beliefs, burnout and depression Vincenza Capone, Giovanna Petrillo, in Current Psychology /2020 pp.1757
  DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-9878-7
• Adolescents’ Mental Health at School: The Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction Valeria Cavioni, Ilaria Grazzani, Veronica Ornaghi, Alessia Agliati, Alessandro Pepe, in Frontiers in Psychology 720628/2021
  DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720628
• Il Work-Study Conflict degli studenti universitari: quali relazioni con il benessere? Vincenza Capone, in PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE 3/2018 pp.131
  DOI: 10.3280/PDS2018-003007
• Exploring the psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s perinatal experiences and wellbeing: A qualitative study Federica Mari, Miriam Capasso, Daniela Caso, in Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare 100805/2023 pp.100805
  DOI: 10.1016/j.srhc.2022.100805

Giovanna Petrillo, Daniela Caso, Vincenza Capone, Un’applicazione del Mental Health Continuum di Keyes al contesto italiano: benessere e malessere in giovani, adulti e anziani in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 2/2014, pp 159-181, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2014-002010