New evidence of the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF) in Peruvian university students: A study from the psychometric network approach
Mental health has become a global priority, especially among university students, who have presented an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression in recent years. The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) is a widely used instrument for assessing emotional, psychological, and social well-...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Enlace permanente (DOI o Handle) Ver en el sistema de origen |
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| Sumario: | Mental health has become a global priority, especially among university students, who have presented an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression in recent years. The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) is a widely used instrument for assessing emotional, psychological, and social well-being; however, evidence of its psychometric properties among Peruvian university students is limited. The present study aimed to analyze the internal structure, estimate reliability, and evaluate validity evidence based on relationships with other variables using a network psychometrics approach. The sample consisted of 560 Peruvian university students (M = 21.57, SD = 3.38). Content validity was assessed using Aiken's V coefficient, and internal structure was examined using hierarchical Exploratory Graph Analysis (hierEGA). Reliability was estimated using EGA bootstrap (1000 resamplings). Validity based on the relationship with other variables was analyzed using partial correlation networks. The MHC-SF showed a hierarchical structure composed of four first-order communities, which were grouped into a general factor of well-being. Item stability (≥0.75) and structural consistency were satisfactory. Mental health was negatively associated with depression and showed no significant association with anxiety. The findings show adequate psychometric properties of validity and reliability of the MHC-SF in Peruvian university students from a network psychometrics perspective. The instrument is suitable for research and evaluation, facilitating the early identification of vulnerable groups and the design of interventions to strengthen the emotional, psychological, and social dimensions across different populations. |
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