RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Psychometric Properties of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) for Ecuadorian Teenagers
Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera,
Alberto Rodríguez-Lorenzana,
Nazuri Santillán,
Micaela Jiménez-Borja,
Carlos José Jiménez-Mosquera,
Xavier Oriol-Granado,
Sergio Domínguez-Lara,
Corresponding Author
Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera
Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Ambato, Ecuador
Correspondence: Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera ([email protected]; [email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorAlberto Rodríguez-Lorenzana
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorNazuri Santillán
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Educación Comercial y Derecho, Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorMicaela Jiménez-Borja
School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorCarlos José Jiménez-Mosquera
School of Sciences and Engineering, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorXavier Oriol-Granado
Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorSergio Domínguez-Lara
Instituto de Investigación FCCTP, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Lima, Peru
Search for more papers by this authorRodrigo Moreta-Herrera,
Alberto Rodríguez-Lorenzana,
Nazuri Santillán,
Micaela Jiménez-Borja,
Carlos José Jiménez-Mosquera,
Xavier Oriol-Granado,
Sergio Domínguez-Lara,
Corresponding Author
Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera
Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Ambato, Ecuador
Correspondence: Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera ([email protected]; [email protected])
Search for more papers by this authorAlberto Rodríguez-Lorenzana
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorNazuri Santillán
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Educación Comercial y Derecho, Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorMicaela Jiménez-Borja
School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorCarlos José Jiménez-Mosquera
School of Sciences and Engineering, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Search for more papers by this authorXavier Oriol-Granado
Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorSergio Domínguez-Lara
Instituto de Investigación FCCTP, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Lima, Peru
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 29 March 2025
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to find evidence of factorial validity, measure equivalence by gender, and internal consistency of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) in a sample of Ecuadorian teenagers. The study uses a psychometric design to explore the validity and reliability of the measure. Participants of the study were 1154 teenagers between 14 and 19 years of age (mean = 15.69 years; sd = 1.06). In total, 67.7% of participants were women and 32.3% were men. Participants came from 21 cities across Ecuador. This study found that the most appropriate fit for the factorial structure of the MHC-SF is a hierarchical factorial structure with three first-order factors and one second-order factor. The questionnaire presented strict measure invariance amongst women and men and showed differences (p < 0.05) for the latent variables related to the emotional well-being factor. Additionally, the study found that the MHC-SF has high internal consistency. The MHC-SF is a valid measure to evaluate the well-being of Ecuadorian teenagers.
Summary
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Availability of measures assessing mental health and well-being in Ecuadorian adolescents is limited.
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The MCH-SF has an adequate fit for adolescents based on a hierarchical configuration and is gender-invariant.
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The MHC-SF is a valid and reliable measure for use in Ecuadorian adolescents.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
The data associated with these results are available to those interested and can be requested from the corresponding author of the study. It is important to note that the use of the same will be used solely for research and academic purposes and under no pretext for commercial purposes.
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