GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Above average mental wellbeing
One of 3 classifications of mental wellbeing (the others are: average mental wellbeing and below average mental wellbeing) derived from responses to the WEMWBS section of the questionnaire. A respondent with above average mental wellbeing is one whose WEMWBS score is over one standard deviation above the mean. This three-fold classification was created solely for the purposes of analyses presented in this report and is not based on evidence that an average or below average score, while relatively lower than above average, is necessarily problematic (there is currently no marker below which mental wellbeing is classified as "poor"). Indeed, as WEMWBS is normally distributed in the population, most people should have average wellbeing.
Average mental wellbeing
One of three classifications of mental wellbeing (the others are: above average mental wellbeing and below average mental wellbeing) derived from responses to the WEMWBS section of the questionnaire. A respondent with average mental wellbeing is one whose WEMWBS score is within one standard deviation of the mean. This three-fold classification has been created solely for the purposes of analyses presented in this report (see "Above average mental wellbeing" above).
Below average mental wellbeing
This is one of three classifications of mental wellbeing (the others are: above average mental wellbeing and average mental wellbeing) derived from responses to WEMWBS. A respondent with below average mental wellbeing is one whose score on WEMWBS is more than one standard deviation below the mean. This three-fold classification was created solely for the purposes of analyses presented in this report (see "Above average mental wellbeing" above).
CAPI
Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing - the use of computer hardware to administer surveys rather than pen and paper questionnaires.
CASI
Computer Assisted Self Interviewing - sections of a questionnaire set out for self-completion by the respondent.
GHQ12
The 12 item version of the General Health Questionnaire. A well-established screening instrument designed to detect possible psychiatric disorder in the general population. Respondents are asked to answer 12 questions relating to their recent experience of particular feelings ( e.g. happiness, depression, anxiety, self-confidence and stress). For each of the 12 questions a score of 1 is allocated if the respondent has been experiencing the feeling more than usual, and a score of 0 is given if they have not. These scores are then summed to give an overall GHQ12 score (ranging from zero to 12) for each respondent.
High GHQ12 score
One of two classifications of mental health (the other is low GHQ12 score) derived from the GHQ12 section of the survey. Respondents with a high GHQ12 score are those who score 4 or over on the GHQ12 (on the basis of how they have 'recently' been feeling) indicating the presence of a possible psychiatric disorder.
LOT-R
Life Orientation Test-Revised. A scale of six statements designed to assess trait optimism and pessimism in individuals (three of the statements measure optimism and three measure pessimism). Respondents are asked to what extent they agree or disagree with each statement on a five point response scale ranging from 'I agree a lot' to 'I disagree a lot'. On the basis of their answers they are each allocated an optimism score and a pessimism score. For both optimism and pessimism, the minimum score possible is 3 and the maximum is 15.
Low GHQ12 score
One of two classifications of mental health (the other is high GHQ12 score) derived from the GHQ12 section of the survey. Respondents with a low GHQ12 score are those who score 0-3 on the GHQ12 (on the basis of how they have 'recently' been feeling) and who are thus defined as exhibiting no or few signs of a possible psychiatric disorder.
POMP score
Percentage Of the Maximum Possible score ( POMP). Given that psychometric measures/ scales are often scored differently, it can be difficult to draw comparisons across studies. As a result, the POMP method was devised as a way of standardising scores and facilitating comparisons across these (see Cohen et al., 1999).
SIMD
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ( SIMD) provides a relative ranking of the data zones in Scotland from 1 (most deprived) to 6,505 (least deprived) based on a weighted combination of data in the domains of Current Income, Housing, Health, Education, Skills and Training, Employment and Geographic Access and Crime.
Standard deviation
The average amount of variation around the mean for a given set of survey findings. The most commonly used measure of the spread of scores.
Trait optimism
Trait theory is a major approach to the study of personality. Traits are thought to be habitual patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviours which are stable over time and differ across individuals. In the present context, trait optimism (as assessed via the LOT-R) is thought to be relatively stable over time and the level of trait optimism differs from person to person.
WEMWBS
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. This has been developed as a tool for measuring mental wellbeing at a population level. The scale comprises 14 separate statements describing thoughts and feelings related to mental wellbeing. Respondents are asked to indicate how often they have had such thoughts and feelings over the last two weeks. WEMWBS is intended to complement standard scales which measure ill-health and mental health problems