What is the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)?

The WEMWBS is a 14-item scale designed to measure positive mental health and well-being. Unlike many mental health tools that focus on illness and symptoms, WEMWBS emphasizes positive aspects of mental health.

Who developed the WEMWBS and when?

Developed by researchers at the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh, led by Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, and first published in 2007.

What type of assessment is the WEMWBS?

It is a self-report questionnaire focusing on positive mental health and psychological well-being.

What does the WEMWBS assess?

• Hedonic Well-being: Positive affect and life satisfaction
• Eudaimonic Well-being: Psychological functioning and self-realization
• Positive Functioning: Energy, clear thinking, self-acceptance
• Positive Relationships: Feeling close to others, helping others
• Personal Development: Feeling confident, developing potential

How is the WEMWBS scored?

Each item is rated from 1-5 (1=none of the time, 5=all of the time), with total scores ranging from 14-70. Higher scores indicate greater well-being.

What are the score interpretations?

• 14-32: Low well-being
• 33-45: Below average well-being
• 46-55: Average well-being
• 56-63: Above average well-being
• 64-70: High well-being

What are the strengths of the WEMWBS?

Focus on positive mental health, robust psychometric properties, widely used in research and policy, suitable for population monitoring.

What are the applications?

Population health monitoring, intervention evaluation, research, clinical practice for measuring positive outcomes.