Psychometric evaluation of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) in Singapore: confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance testing for applied social work research and evaluation
Date
2025-07-25
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate specific psychometric properties of a latent-factor
conceptualisation of mental well-being using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental
Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) in Singapore. We also examined measurement
invariance and concurrent validity. A secondary self-report cross-sectional dataset (n
= 3,043) was used. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated the
SWEMWBS’s high internal consistency and unidimensional factor structure. Full
invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) was observed across all demographic
groups (i.e., gender, education, religiosity, and employment status), except race and
marital status. Overall, as hypothesised, Singaporeans with higher SWEMWBS
scores reported greater present and future life satisfaction and subjective health, and
lower psychological distress. Altogether, the findings suggest that the SWEMWBS is
a reliable, valid, and practical measurement tool which can be used to study mental
well-being and evaluate programmes and interventions which seek to track and
improve mental well-being in Singapore, where mental health is a national priority.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript version of "Psychometric evaluation of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) in Singapore: confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance testing for applied social work research and evaluation" It was accepted for publication in Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development.
Kwan, J. Y., Hui Xian, O., Babu, S., & Ng, R. (2025). Psychometric evaluation of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) in Singapore: confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance testing for applied social work research and evaluation. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/29949769.2025.2539688
It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This article will be embargoed until August 7, 2026.
Keywords
Concurrent validity, measurement invariance, mental well-being, SWEMWBS, WEMWBS
Citation
Kwan, J. Y., Hui Xian, O., Babu, S., & Ng, R. (2025). Psychometric evaluation of the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS) in Singapore: confirmatory analysis and measurement invariance testing for applied social work research and evaluation. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/29949769.2025.2539688