Mental health has typically been defined as an absence of symptoms alone, however it is increasingly being recognised that mental health includes an absence of symptoms but also the presence of wellbeing. Wellbeing encompasses our levels of happiness, life satisfaction and the feeling of living a meaningful life.

At the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, the Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (MHRU) provides treatment for in-patients dealing with various mental health conditions.

The Gatt Wellbeing & Resilience Lab at NeuRA is interested in understanding whether their measure of wellbeing, called the COMPAS‑W Wellbeing Scale, is sensitive in response to treatment also. To understand this, the Gatt Lab at NeuRA is conducting a longitudinal study to measure MHRU inpatients’ wellbeing with a monthly survey until discharge. This survey includes the COMPAS‑W scale, a comprehensive measure of wellbeing that has been validated in past research on other populations.

This longitudinal study will help us understand the importance of wellbeing in mental health recovery, and help identify domains of wellbeing wherein its patients might require additional support or attention.

Team members and Funding:

Investigators on the project include A/​Prof Justine Gatt (Lead) and Dr Luke Egan from the Gatt Wellbeing & Resilience Lab at NeuRA, and the MHRU Unit management at POWH. Funding for the study was provided by the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Related publications:

Data collection in progress.