Looking Beyond Psychopathology: The Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health in Youth

In a dual-factor model of mental health (cf. Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2001), assessments of positive indicators of wellness (i.e., subjective well-being—SWB) are coupled with traditional negative indicators of illness (i.e., psychopathology) to comprehensively measure mental health. The current study examined the existence and utility of a dual-factor model in early adolescence. The SWB, psychopathology, academic functioning, social adjustment, and physical health of a general sample of 349 middle school students was assessed via self-report scales, school records, and teacher reports regarding students' externalizing psychopathology. The existence of a dual-factor model was supported through the identification…