Mental Health Measurement Scales and Their Dimensions: A Systematic Review with Implications for Rajyoga Meditation Research

This systematic review examines widely used mental health measurement scales, including the Perceived Stress Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Mental Health Inventory, Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. It highlights that mental health assessment requires both negative dimensions (stress, anxiety, depression) and positive dimensions (well-being, resilience, life satisfaction). The review finds that no single scale fully captures mental health's complexity, recommending multi-scale approaches. It identifies a research gap in integrating spiritual-based interventions such as Rajyoga meditation with standardized psychometric assessments. The authors conclude that combining well-being and distress measures provides a more comprehensive understanding of mental health outcomes in intervention studies.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mental health is a complex and multidimensional construct that includes emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. In recent decades, increasing academic pressure, life style changes and social demands have led to a rise in stress, anxiety and depression, particularly among adolescents and students. Accurate assessment of mental health is essential for both clinical and educational research, as well as for evaluating intervention- based approaches such as meditation and yoga. The present systematic review examines widely used mental health measurement scales, focusing on their conceptual dimensions, psychometric properties and applicability in research settings. Major instruments reviewed include the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Mental Health Inventory (MHI), Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). The review highlights that mental health assessment requires both negative (stress, anxiety, depression) and positive (well-being, resilience, life satisfaction) dimensions. Findings indicate that no single scale fully captures the complexity of mental health; therefore, multi-scale approaches are recommended. Furthermore, the review identifies a significant research gap in the integration of spiritual-based interventions such as Rajyoga meditation with standardized psychometric assessments. The study concludes that combining well-being and distress measures provides a more comprehensive understanding of mental health outcomes in intervention studies.