Mental Health Measurement Scales and Their Dimensions: A Systematic Review with Implications for Rajyoga Meditation Research
Dipendra Nath Subedi, Prof.(Dr.) Ajaya Bhattarai, Rajesh Arora
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) May 16, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20242177 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Psychological intervention Scale ratio Distress Construct python library Intervention counseling Clinical psychology Psychometrics Social anxiety Applied psychology Construct validity Depression economics |
| Key findings | Argues that no single scale fully captures the complexity of mental health, and that combining well-being and distress measures provides a more comprehensive understanding in intervention studies. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |