Objective—
Psychological well-being (PWB) has a significant relationship with physical and
mental health. As part of the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral
Function, we developed self-report item banks and short forms to assess PWB.
Study Design and Setting—
Expert feedback and literature review informed the selection of
PWB concepts and the development of item pools for Positive Affect, Life Satisfaction, and
Meaning and Purpose. Items were tested with a community-dwelling U.S. internet panel sample of
adults aged 18 and above (N=552). Classical and item response theory (IRT) approaches were
used to evaluate unidimensionality, fit of items to the overall measure, and calibrations of those
items, including differential item function (DIF).
Results—
IRT-calibrated item banks were produced for Positive Affect (34 items), Life
Satisfaction (16 items), and Meaning and Purpose (18 items). Their psychometric properties were
supported based on results of factor analysis, fit statistics, and DIF evaluation. All banks measured
the concepts precisely (reliability ≥0.90) for more than 98% of participants.
Conclusion—
These adult scales and item banks for PWB provide the flexibility, efficiency, and
precision necessary to promote future epidemiological, observational, and intervention research on
the relationship of PWB with physical and mental health