Validating the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for the positive mental health surveillance of adults in Canada.

The WEMWBS and SWEMWBS showed no floor effects and minimal ceiling effects in the Canadian adult population.

• Data were drawn from the 2024 Canadian Community Health Survey - Rapid Response on Sleep Quality and Positive Mental Health
• Sample included adults 18 years and older living in the provinces
• Cross-sectional study design was used
• Score distributions were described as relatively normal

A bifactor ESEM model for the WEMWBS and bifactor CFA model for the SWEMWBS provided the best fit to the data, with indices suggesting essential unidimensionality.

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) were conducted to assess factorial validity
• The bifactor models outperformed alternative factorial structures
• Fit indices supported the interpretation of both scales as essentially unidimensional
• Essential unidimensionality supports the use of a single total score for each scale

Measurement invariance of the (S)WEMWBS was supported across gender and age groups.

• Measurement invariance testing was conducted across both gender and age
• Evidence for invariance indicates the scales measure the same construct comparably across these demographic subgroups
• This supports valid group comparisons of (S)WEMWBS scores by gender and age

Older adults had higher (S)WEMWBS scores on average, and men had higher scores than other gender groups on the WEMWBS.

• Age-related differences in positive mental health scores were observed, with older adults scoring higher
• Gender differences were observed on the WEMWBS, with men scoring higher on average
• The gender difference was specifically noted for the WEMWBS, not explicitly stated for the SWEMWBS in the abstract

The (S)WEMWBS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and were associated with other mental health indicators.

• Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha
• Cronbach's alphas were described as acceptable for both scales
• Associations with other mental health indicators provided evidence of convergent validity
• These findings support the reliability and construct validity of the scales in a Canadian context