Session on Measuring population mental health: recent advances and challenges, 7 December 2021, more information at www.oecd.org/wise/well-being-and-mental-health.htm

1. Measuring population mental health: Why we need to
utilize positive mental health measures
Ziggi Ivan Santini, Ph.d.
The National Institute of Public Health
Copenhagen, Denmark
ziggi.santini@gmail.com
@ziggisantini

2. Mental health
• Been feeling down, depressed or hopeless
• Been feeling bad about yourself
• Been feeling nervous, anxious or on edge
• Not having been able to stop or control worrying
• Not having been able to concentrate
• Been tired or having little energy
• Feeling optimistic about the future
• Been feeling confident
• Feeling relaxed
• Been dealing with problems well
• Been thinking clearly
• Had energy to spare

3. Mental health (wellbeing) – single continuum
54-69% lower
risk of CMDs
69-89% lower
risk of CMDs
REF

4. Mental health promotion – shifting the curve

5. https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/30/3/503/5762310?login=true
Factors predictive
of high and low
mental wellbeing
• Socioeconomic predictors of high mental
wellbeing do not mirror those low mental
wellbeing and common mental disorders
• Relational/recreational predictors suggested to
both prevent poor (low) mental health / CMDs
and to promote good (high) mental health
• Seeing family, friends, colleagues
• Helping others
• Volunteering
• Active membership in a community/social group
• Someone to rely on for social support
• Enganging in a challenging activity/hobby

6. Factors predictive
of high and low
mental wellbeing
• Doing something actively to enhance mental
health within past two weeks:
• Associated with higher scores on mental wellbeing
• Associated with lower odds of low mental wellbeing
• Associated with higher odds of high mental wellbeing
• Believing that one can do something to
enhance mental health:
• Associated with higher scores on mental wellbeing
• Associated with lower odds of low mental wellbeing
• Associated with higher odds of high mental wellbeing
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-021-00380-7

7. http://theconversation.com/heres-a-mental-health-workout-thats-as-simple-as-abc-98124
• Negatively associated with onset
(2-year follow-up) of depression,
anxiety, cognitive decline, and
substance use disorder.
• Positively associated with (2-year
follow up) quality of life, life
satisfaction, and self-rated mental
health.
Keeping active
(leisure activities)
and socially
connected

8. Research priorities for
mental health promotion
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X21007707
• Better monitoring of good mental health
(mental wellbeing) in whole populations and
assess predictors of it
 SWEMWBS scale recommended
• Design studies testing the effectiveness of
interventions to promote good mental health
• Increase mental health promotion capacity
building and mental health literacy within and
outside the healthcare sector, as well as in
educational curricula