A new international study gathered input from 122 experts across 11 disciplines to define positive mental health.
Researchers identified six core elements of wellbeing, including purpose, strong relationships, and self-acceptance.
The study also found that factors like income and housing influence well-being but are not considered defining features of mental wellness.
For years, “mental well-being” has been one of those phrases everyone uses but few people define the same way. Depending on who you ask, it might mean happiness, resilience, low stress, or simply getting through the day. But a new international study led by researchers at Adelaide University is trying to bring some clarity to the conversation.
Published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the research aimed to answer a deceptively simple question: What does it actually mean to be mentally well? The findings could help shape future mental health policies, treatments, and public health programs by giving experts a more consistent framework for discussing wellbeing.
The study found that positive mental health is not just about feeling happy all the time. Instead, experts agreed that wellbeing is made up of several different dimensions that work together to shape a person’s overall mental state. Among the most important were meaning and purpose, life satisfaction, self-acceptance, autonomy, happiness, and strong relationships.
“By agreeing that positive mental health isn’t a single feeling, but a combination of how we feel, how we function and how we connect with others, the study brings much‑needed clarity to the field,” researcher Dr. Matthew Iasiello said in a news release.
“For too long, mental wellbeing has been defined in different ways across research, healthcare and government, making it almost impossible to compare evidence or design effective policy. Imagine if there were 150 different ways of measuring blood pressure – the results would be meaningless. That’s why it’s important to agree on what positive mental health is, and what it isn’t.”
How researchers reached a consensus
To conduct the study, researchers used a method called the Delphi process, which is designed to help experts build agreement on complicated topics.
In this case, the team surveyed 122 specialists from 11 different disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, public health, sociology, philosophy, and theology.
Participants came from several countries and completed multiple rounds of surveys. After each round, researchers reviewed the responses and refined the list of proposed wellbeing dimensions. The goal was to see which ideas consistently earned broad agreement among experts.
Researchers defined consensus as at least 75% agreement. By the end of the process, the panel reached consensus on 19 dimensions related to positive mental health. Six of those received near-unanimous agreement, with more than 90% of experts identifying them as essential elements of wellbeing.
The study also explored which factors should not be considered core parts of mental wellbeing itself, even if they still affect it. That distinction became one of the more notable takeaways from the research.
What the study found
According to the researchers, the six strongest indicators of positive mental health were:
Meaning and purpose
Life satisfaction
Self-acceptance
Strong relationships
Autonomy
Happiness
Rather than treating wellbeing as one emotion or personality trait, the study suggests it is a broader combination of how people feel about themselves, their lives, and their connections to others.
The experts also agreed that some commonly discussed topics — including income, housing, physical health, and coping skills — are better understood as influences on well-being rather than definitions of well-being itself. In other words, those factors may shape a person’s mental health without actually being the thing that defines whether someone is mentally well.
Researchers say the lack of a shared definition for mental well-being has made it harder to compare studies and build consistent mental health strategies over time. By identifying common ground, they hope the findings will give researchers and policymakers a clearer starting point for future work.
“Positive mental health isn’t about feeling good all the time,” Dr. Iasiello said. “It’s about having a combination of emotional wellbeing, psychological functioning, and social connection that helps you live a meaningful, manageable life, even when things might be hard.
“In this way, positive mental health is less about feeling good all the time, and more about having the right combination of factors to cope, live well, and experience life as meaningful. When people can better recognize which parts of their wellbeing are strong, and which might need support it gives them a clearer sense of where to focus their efforts.”