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. 2017 Sep-Dec;17(3):197-206.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.06.003. Epub 2017 Jul 24.

Positive and negative mental health across the lifespan: A cross-cultural comparison

Pia Schönfeld  1 , Julia Brailovskaia  1 , Jürgen Margraf  1
Affiliations

Positive and negative mental health across the lifespan: A cross-cultural comparison

Pia Schönfeld et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2017 Sep-Dec.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Mental health and well-being are closely related to age. Complete mental health includes psychopathological symptoms (negative mental health) and subjective well-being (positive mental health). The aim was to compare indicators of complete mental health across the lifespan cross-culturally. Method: We tested age trends in measures of resilience, social support and positive and negative mental health, including the subscales depression, anxiety and stress using data from national representative samples from Germany, Russia and the United States (U.S.) ranging in age from 18 to 100 (N = 6,303). Results: The effects of age differed in each country. Today's older Germans experienced more positive and less negative mental health whereas today's older Russians experienced less positive and more negative mental health than the younger people. In the U.S., positive mental health was higher among the older adults, but there was no effect of age for negative mental health. Age also had significant linear and curvilinear effects on resilience and social support. Conclusions: The pattern of mental health across the lifespan is clearly dependent on the nation.

La salud mental y el bienestar están relacionados con la edad. La salud mental completa incluye síntomas psicopatológicos (salud mental negativa) y bienestar subjetivo (salud mental positiva). El objetivo es una comparación transcultural de los indicadores de salud mental completa a lo largo de la vida. Método: Hemos probado las tendencias de edad en medidas de resiliencia, apoyo social y salud mental positiva y negativa, incluyendo depresión, ansiedad y estrés, utilizando datos de muestras nacionales representativas de Alemania, Rusia y Estados Unidos con edades entre 18 y 100 años (N = 6.303). Resultados: Los efectos de la edad diferían en cada país. Los alemanes mayores experimentaron una salud mental más positiva y menos negativa, mientras que los rusos mayores experimentaron una salud mental menos positiva y más negativa que los jóvenes. En Estados Unidos, la salud mental positiva fue mayor entre los adultos mayores, pero no hubo efectos de la edad para la salud mental negativa. La edad también tuvo efectos lineales y curvilíneos significativos sobre la resiliencia y el apoyo social. Conclusiones: El patrón de salud mental a lo largo de la vida depende claramente de la nación.

Keywords: Age effects; Cross-cultural; Ex post fact study; Mental health; Well-being.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scatterplots of the regression models. Quadratic function of PMH in relation to age (A) in Germany, (B) in Russia, and (C) in the U.S.; quadratic function of NMH in relation to age (D) in Germany, (E) in Russia, and (F) in the U.S. Note. PMH = Positive mental health; NMH = Negative mental health
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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