MANUAL

FOR
MENTAL HEALTH INVENTORY (M.H.I.)

Dr.Jagdish
Deptt. Of Psychology
R.B.S. College, Agra

&

Dr.A.K. Srivastava
Deptt. Of Psychology
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi

Chandrakant Jamadar
The present ‘Mental Health Inventory’ (MHI) has been designed to measure

mental health (positive) of normal individuals. Though, there are some scales for

measuring mental health but most of them tend to assess mental ill health rather than

mental health. Lower scores on the measure of ‘mental ill-health’ has been supposed

to indicate high mental health where as higher scores as the indicative of poor mental.

Thus, only absence of mental ill-health was considered as an indicator of good mental

health while inclusion of positive symptoms seems to be indispensable for constituting

integrated mental health. Keeping in view this fact in mind, an inventory for assessing

has been constructed and standardized. The salient feature of the scale lies in

inclusion of the symptoms of psychological well-being or positive symptoms of mental

health along with absence of mental ill-health.

Health is an indispensable quality in human being. It has been described as

soil from which the finest flowers grow. Health indicates psychosomatic well-being.

To Bhatia (1982) “Health is a state of being hale, sound or whole in body and mind.”

The preamble of the World Health Organization’s charter defined health as a

state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of

disease or infirmity (Monopolis et al. 1977).

Thus, health is a broader concept including physical, social, and mental health.

Mental health has been reported as an important factor influencing individual’s various

behaviours, activities, happiness, and performance.

Before the second half of the twentieth century, mental health was considered

as the absence of mental disease but now it has been described in its more positive

connotation, not as the absence of mental illness. Mental health has been mentioned
as the ability of person to balance one’s desires and aspirations, to cope life stresses

and to make psycho-social adjustment.

Laddell has reported mental health as the ability to make adequate adjustments

to the environment, on the plane of reality.

Menninger (1945) writes, “Let us define mental health as the adjustment of

human beings to the world and to each other with a maximum of effectiveness and

happiness…. It is the ability to maintain an even temper, an alert intelligence, socially

considerate behaviour and a happy disposition.

Bhatia (1982) considers mental health as the ability to balance feelings,

desires, ambitions and ideals in one’s daily living. It means the ability to face and

accept the realities of life.

Several psychologists and psychiatrists have presented different criteria of

positive/good mental health.

Maslow and Mittelmann (1951) have suggested the following criteria for normal

psychological health:

(i) Adequate feeling of security.

( ii ) Adequate self-evaluation.

( iii ) Adequate spontaneity and emotionality

( iv ) Efficient contact with reality.

( v ) Adequate bodily desires and the ability to gratify them

( vi ) Adequate self-knowledge

( vii ) Integration and consistency of personality.

( viii ) Adequate life goals.

( ix ) Ability to learn from experience.

( x ) Ability to satisfy the requirements of the group.

( xi ) Adequate emancipation from the group or culture.

Jahoda (1958) has noted following six aspects of positive mental health:

(i) Attitudes of an individual towards his own self : the accessibility of the self to

consciousness, the correctness of the self-concept, and its relation to the sense

of identity and the acceptance by the individual of his own self.

( ii ) Growth, development, or self-actualization.

( iii ) Integration.

( iv ) Autonomy

(v ) Perception of reality.

( vi ) Environmental mastery.

Schultz (1977) has presented following seven criteria;

(i ) Extension of the sense of self.

( ii ) Warm relation of self to others.

( iii ) Emotional security

( iv ) Realistic perception.

(v ) Skills and assignments.

( vi ) Self-objectification.

( vii ) Unifying philosophy of life.

Operational definition of mental health – For the present purpose of developing

the inventory, mental health is defined as person’s ability to make positive self-

evaluation, to perceive the reality, to integrate the personality, autonomy group

oriented attitudes and environmental mastery. The detail of the dimensions of mental

health is as follows:

1. Positive self-Evaluation (PSE) : It includes self-confidence, self-acceptance,

self-identity, feeling of worthwhileness, realization of one’s potentialities, etc.

2. Perception of Reality (PR) : It is related to perception free from need

distortion, absence of excessive fantasy and a broad outlook on the world.

3. Integration of Personality (IP) : It indicates balance of psychic forces in the

individual and includes the ability to understand and to share other people’s emotions,

the ability to concentrate at work and interest in several activities.

4. Autonomy ( AUTNY) : It includes stable set of internal standards for one’s

action, dependence for own development upon own potentialities rather than

dependence on other people.

5. Group Oriented Attitudes (GOA) : It is associated with the ability to get along

with others, work with others and ability to find recreation.

6. Environmental Mastery ( EM ) : It includes efficiency in meeting situational

requirements, the ability to work and play, the ability to take responsibilities and

capacity for adjustment.

Development of Mental Health – Inventory (MHI)

Construction of test items – The contents of statements were mainly taken from

the available literature on mental health particularly including Maslow and Mittel mann,

1951; Fromm, 1955; Jahoda 1958 and Buch, 1972. Besides, a few items from the

existing tests pertaining to psychological well-being were also incorporated in the list

of the statements. On the basis of various sources more than 100 items were
prepared and presented to experts/judges for examining the suitability of each item

for inclusion in the test. Only those items were retained about which the judges were

unanimous. On the basis of maximum agreement among the judges 72 statements

were retained.

Item Analysis :

The preliminary format of the MHI was tried out administered on a sample of

200 subjects belonging to various socio-cultural, age, sex and education groups. For

item analysis, biserial coefficients of correlation were computed. The significance of

correlation at .001 level was fixed as the criterion for retaining an item. On the basis

of significance out of 72 items, 56 items, including 32 ‘false-keyed’ and 24 ‘true-keyed’

have been selected to constitute the final format of the inventory.

Reliability of the Inventory

The reliability of the inventory was determined by ‘split-half method’ using odd-

even procedure. The Table 1 gives the reliability coefficients of different dimensions

of mental health and over all.

Table 1 : Showing reliability coefficients

Dimensions of M.H. Reliability Index

1. Positive self evaluation .75
2. Perception of reality .71
3. Integration of personality .72
4. Autonomy .72
5. Group oriented attitudes .74
6. Environmental Competence .71
Over all .73

Validity of the Inventory

Construct validity of the inventory is determined by finding coefficient of

correlation between scores on Mental Health Inventory and General Health

Questionnaire (Gold berg, 1978). It was found to be .54. It is noteworthy here that

high score on the General Health Questionnaire indicates poor mental health.

Besides, the inventory was validated against ‘Personal Adjustment” scale (a

sub-scale of S-D Inventory) developed by Pestonjee (1973). The two inventory scores

yield positive correlation of .57 revealing moderate validity.

Norms

The norms have been prepared on the bases of Mental Health Inventory M.H.I.

scores obtained from 600 college students including 300 boys and 300 girls.

The norms have been prepared particularly for college students. Six hundred

college students including 300 males and 300 females served as subjects for the

purpose.

The subjects have been classified into five categories on the bases of three

raw scores on the inventory, dividing the base line of the normal curve into five equal

units.

The following Tables present separate norms for the two sex groups:

Table 3 : Norms for M.H. of female students

Level/State of M.H.
Dimensions of Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor
M H Categories
1. PSE 37,82 & Above 33.13 to below 28.43 to below 23.74 to below Below 23.74
37.82 33.13 28.43

2. PR 30.93 & Above 26.97 to below 23.01 to below 19.15 to below Below 19.05
30.93 36.97 34.01

3. IP 45.03 & Above 38.94 to below 32.86 to below 26.77 to below Below 26.77
45.03 38.94 32.86

4. AUTNY 22.11 & Above 18.60 to below 15.10 to below 11.59 to below Below 11.59
33.11 18.60 15.10

5. GOA 41.41 & Above 36.00 to below 30.58 to below 25.17 to below Below 25.17
41.41 36.00 30.58

6. EM 36.14 & Above 31.65 to below 27.17 to below 22.64 to below Below 22.68
36,.14 31.65 27.17

Overall 175.14 & Above 175.14 to below 154.26 to below 133.38 to below Below 133.38
196.02 175.14 154.26

Table 2 : Norms for M.H. of male students

Status/Level of M.H.
Dimensions of Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor
MH

1. PSE 38,31 & Above 33.70 to below 29.10 to below 24.49 to below Below 24.49
38.31 33.70 29.10

2. PR 29.82 & Above 25.95 to below 22.07 to below 18.20 to below Below 18.20
29.82 25.95 22.07

3. IP 44.87 & Above 38.66 to below 32.44 to below 26.23 to below Below 26.23
44.87 38.66 32.44

4. AUTNY 22.11 & Above 19.04 to below 15.74 to below 12.44 to below Below 12.44
22.34 19.04 15.74

5. GOA 38.50 & Above 33.37 to below 28.23 to below 23.10 to below Below 23.10
38.50 33.37 28.23

6. EM 36.26 & Above 31.35 to below 26.43 to below 21.52 to below Below 21.52
36.26 31.35 26.43

Overall 195.89 & Above 176.45 to below 157.01 to below 137.57 to below Below 135.57
105.89 176.45 157.01
Scoring
In the present scale, 4 alternative responses have been given to each

statement i.e., Always, often ….. 4 scores to ‘Always’, 3 scores to ‘Often’, 2 scores to

‘Rarely’, and 1 score to ‘Never’ marked responses as to be assigned for true keyed

(positive) statements where as 1, 2, 3 and 4 scores for ‘Always’, ‘Often’, ‘Rarely’ and

‘Never’ respectively in case of false keyed (negative) statements. The overlined items

are negative while remaining positive.

The area wise detail of the statements is presented in the following table.

Table 4 : Showing item numbers included in various dimensions of mental health.

Dimensions of Items Positive Negative Total

Mental Health

1. Positive self- 1*, 7*, 13*, 19, 23* 27, 32,

Evaluation 38, 45, 51 06 04 10

2. Perception
Of reality

3. Integration of

personality

4. Autonomy

5. Group-oriented

Attitudes

6. Environmental
Mastery.

Scoring
In the present scale, 4 alternative responses have been given to each

statement i.e., Always, often …. 4 scores to ‘Always’, 3 scores to ‘Often’, 2 scores to

‘Rarely’ and 1 score to ‘Never’ marked responses as to be assigned for true keyed

(positive) statements whereas 1, 2,3 and 4 scores for ‘Always’, ‘Often’, Rarely’, and

“Never’ respectively in case of false keyed (negative) statements. The overlined items

are negative while remaining positive.

The area wise detail of the statements is presented in the following table.

Table 4 : Showing item numbers included in various dimensions of mental

health

Dimensions of Items Positive Negative Total

Mental Health

1. Positive self- 1*, 7*, 13*, 19, 23*, 27, 32, 38,
evaluation 45, 51 06 04 10

2. Perception 6, 8, 14*, 24*, 35*, 41, 46*

of reality 52 04 04 08

3. Integration of 2*, 9*, 13*, 18*, 20, 25*, 28*,

Personality 33, 36, 40, 47, 53 06 06 12

4. Autonomy 3*, 10*, 29*, 42*, 48, 54 02 04 06

5. Group-oriented 4, 11*, 16*, 21*, 26, 30*

attitudes 39, 43, 49*, 53 05 05 10

6. Environmental 5*, 12, 17, 22, 31, 34, 37,

mastery 44, 50, 56 07 03 10

*False keyed items 24 32 56

Uses of Mental Health Inventory

The inventory may be used for measuring mental health of individuals in

various sphere of life. It has been mostly employed in researches industrial and

educational fields. The scale is helpful in screening the individuals with poor mental

health who may need assistance and counseling for their happier life and excellent

future.

References

Bhatia, B.D. (1982). Mental hygine in education. In B. Kuppuswamy (ed.) Advanced

Educational Psychology, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Buck, V.E. (1972). Working under pressure. Staples Press, London.

Fromm, E. (1955). The same society. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Goldberg, D. (1972). The detection of psychiatric illness by Questionnaire. London:

Oxford University Press.

Jahoda, M. (1958). Current concepts of positive mental health. Basic Books, Inc.,
Publishers, New York.

Laddell, M.R.A. Dictionary of Psychological Term.

Maslow, A.H. & Mittelmann, B. (1951). Principles of Abnormal Psychology,

New York: Harper and Bros.

Menninger, K.A. (1945). Human mind. New York.

Monopolis, S., Moraitis, J., Kouvaris, M., and Galanopoulou, P. (1977). Health as
A human value. Transnational Mental Health, Research News Letter, 19(4),
5-9.

Pestonjee, D.D. (1973). Organizational structures and job attitudes, Calcutta :

Minerva.

Schultz, D. (1977). Growth Psychology; Models of the healthy personality Van

Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Always Most of Sometime Never
times

1. I feel lack of confidence. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

2. I get excited very easily. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

3. I am not able to take quick decision on any subject. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

4. I have affection and attachment with my neighbours. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

5. I mould myself according to circumstances. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

6. I feel that I am losing self-respect ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

7. I use to worry even about trivial matter for a long time ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

8, I am not able to take decision about my next step. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

9. I hesitate in meeting with others. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

10. I do my duty well even in adverse circumstances. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

11. I feel that I am not able to fully utilize my abilities in

Performing my different duties. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

12. In adverse circumstances, I act without keeping in

View of the real facts. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

13. I feel irritation ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

14. I feel to be insecure ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

15. I am much worried about my responsibilities ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

16. I feel depressed/dejected ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

17. I play important role in social ceremonies ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

18. I utilize my reasoning even in difficult times ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

19. I feel that my relations with others are not satisfactory ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

20. My responsibilities are like burden to me ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

21. I suffer from inferiority complex ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

22. I am and used to be lost in world of imagination ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

23. I am and anxious about my future ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

24. My friends/relatives remain ready to help me in the

difficult times. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Always Most of Sometime Never

times

25. I make definite plans about my future ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

26. I am enraged even by the slightest unfavourable talks. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

27. I take decision easily even in difficult circumstances ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

28. I am not able to behave in such a way as my friends

Expect from me. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

29. I am satisfied with most of the aspects of my life. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

30. My friends and colleagues hale respect for me. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

31. My confidence varies highly in quantity. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

32. I am always ready to fight the problems ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

33. I make impressions about people or issue even in

Absence of facts and grounds. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

34. I am not able to concentrate fully in my works. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

35. I feel inclined towards opposite sex. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

36. I solve my problems myself. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

37. I fully cooperate in the important functions of my

Community. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

38. I am perplexed with my contradictory thoughts. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

39. I take decisions on the basis of facts even though they

Are contrary to my wish. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

40. I am not able to continue any task for long. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

41. I feel myself secured amidst my friends/group. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

42. I do not become hopeless even when I fail. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

43. I consider myself useful for society. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

44. I aspire for something without having in view of my

Short comings. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

45. I do not get influenced even by reasonable arguments ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

46. I am not able to take such decision as I want to take. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

47. I am afraid of imaginary calamities. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Always Most of Sometime Never

times

48. I feel that this world is a place good enough for

passing life. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

49. I feel full of enthusiasm to think that I will certainly

achieve my objectives. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

50. I do not get disappointed with the common worries of

daily life. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

51. My mood changes momentarily ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

52. I myself decide what and how I should do ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

53. I feel that my intimacy with my group community is

Increasing gradually. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

54. I feel pleasure in taking responsibilities ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Thanks,