SHBC1308
J.A.VAINGANKAR1, M.SUBRAMANIAM1, L.S.E.SEOW1, S.CHANG1, R.SAMBASIVAM1, N.LUO2, S.VERMA1, S.A.CHONG1, R.M.VAN DAM2
Institute of Mental Health1, National University of Singapore2
Till date, a systematic review on youth positive mental health (PMH) has not been undertaken. This study aimed to synthesise published literature to identify and describe concepts related to youth PMH.
A systematic review was conducted on literature published from 1999 to 2019 in the Pubmed, Embase, PsycINFO, and OpenGrey databases. The documented PMH and well-being concepts were free-listed, and their definitions or text passages describing them were extracted for analysis. Text passages were thematically combined and summarised to generate definitions for youth PMH concepts.
Out of 3427 papers that were identified and 342 that were reviewed, a total of 105 papers were included in the review using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the studies selected for review, most were conducted in North America (N=42). Sixteen studies were conducted in Asia; the largest number (N=7) being from China/Hong Kong. Narrative analysis identified 22 broad concepts related to youth PMH. These included themes around interpersonal relationships (e.g., positive relationships and school connectedness), positive emotions (e.g., pleasant life), self-efficacy (e.g., environmental mastery), life satisfaction, and personal growth (e.g., aspirations). The review also indicated emerging interest in novel concepts (e.g., mindfulness) that have not been previously considered in PMH frameworks.
Our synthesis identified core PMH components that facilitate a comprehensive understanding of youth mental health. The youth PMH framework comprises broad and multidimensional concepts that are grounded in theory. This study provided an empirical basis for future research and practice in youth mental health.
