Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): Validated for teenage school students in England and Scotland. A mixed methods assessment

2011

Validating the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for Teenagers

Sample size: 1650 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Clarke Aileen, Friede Tim, Putz Rebecca, Ashdown Jacquie, Martin Steven, Blake Amy, Adi Yaser, Parkinson Jane, Flynn Pamela, Platt Stephen, Stewart-Brown Sarah

Primary Institution: Health Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick

Hypothesis

Can the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) be validated for use in teenagers aged 13 to 16 in the UK?

Conclusion

WEMWBS is a reliable and valid measure of mental wellbeing for teenagers aged 13 and over.

Supporting Evidence

WEMWBS demonstrated strong internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87.
The mean WEMWBS score was 48.8, indicating a good range of mental wellbeing among participants.
Significant positive correlations were found between WEMWBS and other measures of mental wellbeing.
Test-retest reliability was acceptable with an ICC of 0.66.
Focus groups indicated that WEMWBS was generally well-received and comprehensible.

Takeaway

This study shows that a questionnaire can help us understand how happy and healthy teenagers feel, and it works well for kids aged 13 and up.

Methodology

A self-administered questionnaire was given to pupils aged 13 to 16 years in six schools, along with focus groups to assess the scale's acceptability.