Introduction. The current study aimed to test the two continua model of mental health by investigating the relation of the domains of functional disability and social support with positive mental...Show moreIntroduction. The current study aimed to test the two continua model of mental health by investigating the relation of the domains of functional disability and social support with positive mental health and psychopathology and aimed to examine the influence of psychopathology on positive mental health. Methods. In 1008 adults aged 18-81 who consulted their GP with mental health related complaints, psychological well-being, distress, domains of functional disability, social support, and common mental disorders were measured by a self-report screening instrument. Results. Examining differential predictors of positive mental health resp. distress using multiple regression analyses while controlling for distress resp. positive mental health showed that social support, cognition, and getting along predicted psychological well-being, and social participation, cognition, and getting along predicted distress with cognition being a stronger predictor for distress and getting along a stronger predictor for psychological well-being. Examining differences in psychological well-being between groups (control, anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorder, and comorbid disorder group) with analysis of variance showed that all disorder groups scored significantly lower on psychological well-being than the control group. When controlled for distress none of the disorder groups significantly differed from the control group. Conclusion. The findings partly support the two continua model of mental health, since domains of functional disability and social support were differentially associated to psychological well-being and distress. However, although all psychiatric disorders considerably influenced positive mental health, distress seemed to fully account for this influence of psychiatric disorders.Show less
