Type of Mental Health Lifestyle Required in Taiwan

Objective: Mental health lifestyle (MHL) enhances one’s well-being and function. In this study, we used the Rasch analysis on participants’ demographic and characteristic data to determine the appropriate MHLs required for mental health (MH) promotion in communities in Taiwan.
Methods: We surveyed four communities for MHLs, based on therapeutic lifestyle changes and their responses. Then, we analyzed the data with Rasch analysis. Results: In all, 35 men and 169 women (average age ± standard deviation: 34.34 ± 9.94 years) from four MH promotion courses with an invited speaker completed the copies of the questionnaire, including four items for course satisfaction and eight items on MHL.
According to the results of the Rasch analysis, the most easy MHL activity was engaging in relaxation and stress management, and the most difficult MHL was service to others such as volunteering. Moderate-difficulty MHL activities were engaging in exercise, recreational activities, and being involved in nature. Conclusion: In this study, recreation, regular exercise, and contacting nature were identified as moderate-difficulty MHL activities. We suggest that the effectiveness of intervention programs can be confirmed through randomized controlled trials in the future.