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Validation of the German Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) in a community-based sample of adults in Austria: a bi-factor modelling approach

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Abstract

Aim

This article reports on the validation of the German version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) in a community-based sample of adults living in Vienna, Austria (n = 625).

Subject and methods

For psychometric property testing, survey data were rigorously analysed with advanced multivariate methods under aspects of validity and reliability. The properties of the total scale scores are examined by descriptive statistics.

Results

There was a high response rate to the scale (94.2%) with uni-modal distributed and slightly skewed items. The one-factor Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) model was not supported by the data, but the structure of the WEMWBS was excellently described by a bi-factor model [χ 2 = 160.63 (60), RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.03] with one strong general MWB factor (ECV = 0.70, ωH = 0.81) and three relatively weak residualised (group) factors (ECV < 0.15, ωS < 0.29), which were associated with the domains of MWB (positive affect, functioning and personal relationships). The mean total score of the 14-item scale was 54.5 (53.8–55.2) and slightly skewed, but with no floor or ceiling effects. There was a moderate correlation with the EUROHIS-QOL scale (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) and score differences in major socio-demographic groups (age, education level, marital status).

Conclusions

The German version of the WEMWBS achieved good validity and reliability in our test sample and is recommended for future applications. Advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods are suggested to further test the scale.

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Notes

  1. The concepts MWB and PMH are often used interchangeably. In the following report, we will refer to MWB.

  2. By adaption and shortening of the Affectometer 2 scale (Tennant et al. 2006).

  3. Note: For a good fit, the χ 2 value should be non-significant, but is rarely obtained when the sample is large, as is the case in the present study.

  4. A more parsimonious but incomplete CBA model including only group factors GF1 and GF2 but without GF3 also resulted in an excellent model fit: χ 2 = 186.54 (64), RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.96, SRMR = 0.03.

  5. Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.92 for the total score and 0.74, 0.66 and 0.60 for the group factors.

Abbreviations

(∑ λ)2 :

Sum of loadings squared

(∑ λ2):

Sum of squared loadings

CBA:

Confirmatory Bi-factor Analysis

CFA:

Confirmatory Factor Analysis

CFI:

Comparative Fit Index

CI:

Confidence interval

d.f.:

Degrees of freedom

EBA:

Exploratory Bi-factor Analysis

ECV:

Explained Common Variance

GF:

Group factor

m:

Arithmetic mean

md:

Median

mis:

Missing answer

MWB:

Mental Well-Being

N:

Valid cases

ns:

Statistically not significant

p:

p-value

PMH:

Positive Mental Health

QOL:

Quality of life

RMSEA:

Root Mean Standard Error of Approximation

s2 :

Standard deviation

s3 :

Skewness

s4 :

Kurtosis

SRMR:

Standardised Root Mean Square Residual

WEMWBS:

Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale

χ 2 :

Chi-square test statistic

ωH:

Coefficient omega hierarchical

ωS:

Coefficient omega specific

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Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the support of the Viennese Red Cross. We are thankful to Christian Listopad, Astrid Guby and Brigitte Klamert of the Members Support Department (Mitgliederbetreuung) who assisted with the idea to put a special focus on quality of life and well-being in their members’ omnibus survey. Thanks go also to Sarah Stewart-Brown and Frances Taggart from the University of Warwick Medical School for their valuable feedback on an earlier version of this article. We are grateful to the reviewers’ comments and the feedback of Richard Wynne and Keith Chandler in helping us to improve this article. Last but not least, special thanks to all respondents who provided us valuable insights into their lives by participating in this survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of the Red Cross, Nottendorfer Gasse 21, A-1030, Vienna, Austria

    Gert Lang & Almut Bachinger

  2. Austrian Health Promotion Foundation, a business unit of Gesundheit Österreich GmbH, Aspernbrückengasse 2, A-1020, Vienna, Austria

    Gert Lang

  3. International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Gonzagagasse 1, A-1010, Vienna, Austria

    Almut Bachinger

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  1. Gert Lang
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Correspondence to Gert Lang.

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This study did not receive any funding. It forms part of an internal research project performed by the Viennese Red Cross.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors Gert Lang and Almut Bachinger declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Lang, G., Bachinger, A. Validation of the German Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) in a community-based sample of adults in Austria: a bi-factor modelling approach. J Public Health 25, 135–146 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0778-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0778-8

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