Psychological therapy should explore treatments that take a two-fold approach to decrease distress and increase wellbeing to obtain optimal mental health, according to researchers at The University of Western Australia.
Forrest Scholar and lead author Jackson Mason Stephens collaborated with Associate Professor Kristin Naragon-Gainey and Tanika Sgherza, from UWA's School of Psychological Science, and Associate Professor Kenneth DeMarree, from the University at Buffalo, on the study published in Journal of Affective Disorders.
"For a long-time, it was assumed, distress and wellbeing operate as opposites, where reducing one would automatically result in an increase in the other," Mr Mason Stephens said.
"While previous research has shown that distress and wellbeing are not opposites, our study is the first to use daily experiences to assess the distress-wellbeing relationship in those with mental illness."
The study examined how people experience psychological distress, such as negative emotions and low mood, as well as mental wellbeing, including positive emotions, meaning and purpose.
The 345 participants, including mentally healthy and those with a mental illness diagnosis, were given six surveys each day for a week to gain insight into their moment-by-moment experiences as they went about their daily lives.
"We found that distress is not the opposite of mental wellbeing; both can co-exist and can vary independently," Mr Mason Stephens said.
"In daily life, when someone's distress increases, their wellbeing doesn't necessarily decrease by the same amount and vice versa, and this remains true for those with a mental illness.
"We found that not only do distress and wellbeing remain distinct in those with a mental illness, but they may be even more distinct for those with depression."
The findings highlight the importance of assessing both distress and mental wellbeing in clinical populations to fully understand an individual's mental state, as levels of distress are not always an accurate representation of wellbeing.
