The nature of the relation between mental wellbeing and illbeing

Research on mental health has traditionally separated the study of illbeing—including clinically defined mental and behavioural disorders and subthreshold problems—from the study of wellbeing—which encompasses factors such as life satisfaction and positive affect. While previous reviews of studies primarily employing self-report scales indicate that illbeing and wellbeing are distinct yet interconnected constructs, a deeper examination of their relationship is lacking. In this Perspective, we synthesize genetic, biological, developmental, psychosocial, societal, cultural, and clinical research on illbeing and wellbeing. Our review reveals substantial genetic overlap and similar biological underpinnings for illbeing and wellbeing. In contrast, environmental factors and societal changes often exert divergent influences. We propose a differentiated multidisciplinary framework in which the shared and unique determinants, predictors, mechanisms, and consequences of mental illbeing and wellbeing vary across levels of analysis, offering a more nuanced understanding of the interconnections.

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Published
2025-08-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/9jk2x_v4
Primary Topic
Resilience and Mental Health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

The nature of the relation between mental wellbeing and illbeing

Eira Ranheim Aksnes, Eivind Ystrøm, Niamh MacSweeney, Marieke Bos et al.
Resilience and Mental Health
article

The nature of the relation between mental wellbeing and illbeing

Eira Ranheim Aksnes, Eivind Ystrøm, Niamh MacSweeney, Marieke Bos, Ragnhild Bang Nes, Liridona Gashi, Eirik Jerven Berger, Emily Gabriela Vira, Tina Baier, Avshalom Caspi, Eivor Fredriksen, Rubén Rodríguez‐Cano, Kristin Gustavson, Lia Ferschmann, Torkild Hovde Lyngstad, Monica Beer Prydz, Siri Hausland Folstad, Helga Ask, Sam Fluit, Espen Røysamb, HERMINE H. M. MAES, Tom A. McAdams, Ziada Ayorech, Vidar Sandsaunet Ulset, Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal, Stella Tsotsi, Willy Pedersen, Christian K. Tamnes, Espen Moen Eilertsen, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Steen Andersen, Aurora Oftedal, Dani Beck, Perline Demange, Olga D. Boer, Linn B. Norbom, Irene Johanna Elisabeth Teulings, Mona Bekkhus, Egil Nygaard, Rosa Cheesman, Vegard Skirbekk, Tilmann von Soest, Dinka Smajlagić, Fartein Ask Torvik, Qin Qi, Ludvig Daae Bjørndal, Valerie Karl, Jinrui Liu, Maud Edvoll, Terrie E. Moffitt, Live Skow Hofgaard, Laura Cortés‐García, Nasimeh Naseri, Michal Kozák, Maja Eilertsen, Lilian Mayerhofer, Joakim Coleman Ebeltoft, Yuan Fang, Thomas Hansen, Anneli D. Tandberg, Razieh Chegeni, Kristian G. Krogshus, Ole Martin Solberg
article en

Abstract

Research on mental health has traditionally separated the study of illbeing—including clinically defined mental and behavioural disorders and subthreshold problems—from the study of wellbeing—which encompasses factors such as life satisfaction and positive affect. While previous reviews of studies primarily employing self-report scales indicate that illbeing and wellbeing are distinct yet interconnected constructs, a deeper examination of their relationship is lacking. In this Perspective, we synthesize genetic, biological, developmental, psychosocial, societal, cultural, and clinical research on illbeing and wellbeing. Our review reveals substantial genetic overlap and similar biological underpinnings for illbeing and wellbeing. In contrast, environmental factors and societal changes often exert divergent influences. We propose a differentiated multidisciplinary framework in which the shared and unique determinants, predictors, mechanisms, and consequences of mental illbeing and wellbeing vary across levels of analysis, offering a more nuanced understanding of the interconnections.

Duke University (US)
Wellcome Trust, Stichting Volksbond Rotterdam, European Commission, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Jacobs Foundation, NordForsk, Norges Forskningsråd, Einstein Stiftung Berlin, National Institutes of Health
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Resilience and Mental Health
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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