Scale Overview
The Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF) was developed by Corey L. M. Keyes (2009). It is designed to measure Positive Mental Health. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 14 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Emotional Well-Being, Social Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Emotional Well-Being |
1,2,3 |
3 |
| Social Well-Being |
4,5,6,7,8 |
5 |
| Psychological Well-Being |
9,10,11,12,13,14 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Once or twice, 2 = About once a week, 3 = About 2 or 3 times a week, 4 = Almost every day, 5 = Every day.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Languishing Mental Health: 0 – 20
- Moderate Mental Health: 21 – 55
- Flourishing Mental Health: 56 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.89.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.