Evidence for the independence of positive and negative well‐being: Implications for quality of life assessment

OBJECTIVES: Evidence is accumulating that positive mental states are more than the absence of symptoms, and may play an independent role in health outcomes. The aim of this study is to compare the characteristics and determinants of positive and negative mental states in a population sample. DESIGN: A novel analysis of data was undertaken from the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) which was completed by 6,317 participants in the Health and Lifestyle Survey at Time 1 and 3,778 at Time 2, 7 years later. METHODS: We derived a positive well-being scale (POS-GHQ) based on positive responses to the positive items of the GHQ-30, and compared it to a standard symptom measure (CGHQ). Discriminant function analyses were performed to establish which demographic, health and social variables best accounted for scores on each scale. RESULTS: The distributional properties of the two scales, together with the results of the discriminant analyses, demonstrate a degree of independence between positive and negative well-being. Over one third of the sample obtained either low scores on both positive and negative well-being measures or high scores on both measures. Disability and lack of social roles were important determinants of psychological symptoms, but had less influence on positive well-being. Having paid employment was an important determinant of positive well-being but had less influence on psychological symptoms. We also found that 7-year mortality was predicted more strongly by the absence of positive well-being than by the presence of psychological symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to the need to include measures of positive well-being in studies of health outcomes and quality of life assessment.