Validation of a Spanish Version of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form Questionnaire

Abstract

Background: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) is a multidimensional measure of well-being designed to assess emotional, psychological and social well-being. It has been translated into different languages; however, there is no validated Spanish version. Our aim was to provide the Spanish-speaking community with a validated version of the MHC-SF. Method: We translated the questionnaire into Spanish (s-MHC-SF) and assessed its validity in a sample of 3,355 Chilean adults. The data was subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis using the original correlated-traits three-factor model and a recently described bifactor model. Results: The scores obtained with s-MHC-SF had excellent reliability (alpha = .94). While the correlated-traits three-factor model provided an acceptable fit to the data, the bifactor model yielded a superior fit. According to measurement invariance results, both models could be used to compare scores over gender, geographical region, age, and time in the sample. Conclusion: s-MHC-SF is a valid questionnaire for the evaluation of personal well-being in Spanish-speaking populations. Keywords. Author Keywords:Factor analysis; statistical; mental health; well-being; surveys and questionnaires; Spanish . KeyWords Plus:FIT INDEXES; BIFACTOR; MODEL