Wellbeing and resilience

Mental health is more than not being ill. It also includes feeling good, getting along with people, finding meaning and handling the ups and downs of life. Researchers call this wellbeing. The ability to adapt and recover after hard times is called resilience.

Both can grow. Everyday choices, relationships and a sense of purpose all play a part. This does not mean you can or should feel happy all the time. Pain, grief and worry are part of every life. And if you are struggling, it is not because you failed. This page gives you the big picture and points you to our detailed pages.

What is mental health?

WHO was founded in the 1940s. Its founding document defined health as complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, "not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."² That idea still guides how experts think about mental health today.

WHO now describes mental health as a state of mental wellbeing. It helps people cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.¹ WHO also says mental health sits on a continuum (a range), and each person moves along it in their own way over time.¹

Many things protect mental health. WHO lists social and emotional skills, good relationships, quality education, decent work, safe neighborhoods and strong community ties.¹ Some of these are in your hands. Others depend on the world around you.

Two separate scales: illness and wellbeing

For a long time, mental health meant only one thing: having no mental illness. Sociologist Corey Keyes and others argued that this leaves out half the picture. In their view, mental illness and wellbeing are two related but separate scales. This is called the two continua model.⁴

Flourishing means feeling good about life and functioning well. Languishing means having little of either. A person who is languishing may not be sick, but life feels flat, empty or stuck.³

In a national survey of 3,032 U.S. adults aged 25 to 74, about 17% (1 in 6) were flourishing and about 12% (1 in 8) were languishing. Most people were in between. Adults who were languishing were about twice as likely to have had major depression in the past year as people in the middle. They were about six times as likely as people who were flourishing.³

A Dutch study of 1,340 adults aged 18 to 87 also found that illness and wellbeing were related but distinct. Older adults had fewer symptoms of mental illness than younger adults, except for the very oldest. They also reported more emotional wellbeing, about the same social wellbeing and slightly lower psychological wellbeing.⁴

Wellbeing can also change. When U.S. adults were surveyed again 10 years later, about half of those who had been languishing had improved. About half of those who had been flourishing had declined. Gains in wellbeing went along with a lower risk of later mental illness, and losses went along with a higher risk.⁵ These are survey findings, so they show links, not proof of cause.

Read more in What is wellbeing?

What is resilience?

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as adapting well to hard or challenging life experiences. It is both a process and a result. It involves being flexible in how you think, feel and act.¹⁰ WHO notes that most people are resilient, although people living through hard circumstances face a higher risk of mental health problems.¹

APA names three main influences on resilience: how you see and engage with the world, how much good social support you have, and the coping skills you use.¹⁰ APA also stresses that resilience is not the same as feeling no distress. People who have been through great hardship often feel deep pain along the way. The thoughts, actions and habits behind resilience can be learned.¹¹

See What is resilience? and Building resilience.

What MindCheck looks at

Our free, private WhySigh MindCheck looks at wellbeing and resilience with three short, well-studied questionnaires. You can also take each one on its own.

The WHO-5 has five questions. Higher scores mean better wellbeing. WHO says a score below 50 suggests poor wellbeing and a need to check further, for example for depression.⁶ A review of 213 studies found that the WHO-5 is a valid measure and works well as a first screening tool for depression.⁷

The SWLS has five statements. It focuses only on how satisfied you are with your life overall. It does not measure moods or feelings.⁸ See Life satisfaction.

The BRS has six statements. It was built to measure one thing: your ability to bounce back or recover from stress.⁹

Each score is a snapshot, not a diagnosis. Scores change with health, seasons and life events. Taking a check again every few weeks can help you notice a trend. For all our short self-tests, see Know yourself.

When low wellbeing needs attention

Everyone has low stretches, especially during illness, loss or heavy stress. But low wellbeing that lasts can be a sign of depression. A WHO-5 score below 50 is a reason to look more closely.⁶

Depression is likely when you have low mood, or lose interest or pleasure in most things, for at least two weeks. These feelings last most of the day, nearly every day, and come with other changes.¹² These can include poor sleep, low energy, changes in appetite, trouble focusing, feeling worthless and thoughts of death. Older adults may feel numb or empty rather than sad.¹²

Talk with a doctor or mental health professional if:

• Low mood, emptiness or loss of interest lasts more than two weeks
• Your wellbeing score stays low, or drops a lot from one check to the next
• You cannot keep up with daily tasks, work or care of yourself
• You are drinking more or pulling away from people

Our depression check-in can help you put your feelings into words before a visit. See Depression and Signs and symptoms of depression.

All wellbeing and resilience pages

• What is wellbeing? Feeling good and functioning well, flourishing and languishing, and the WHO-5
• Life satisfaction How you judge your life, and what research says about relationships, health, work, money and age
• What is resilience? Myths, recovery after loss or trauma, and the Brief Resilience Scale
• Building resilience Connection, meaning, coping skills, flexible thinking and what training programs show
• Everyday habits for wellbeing Movement, sleep, nature, people, gratitude, kindness and less doomscrolling
• Meaning and purpose Purpose and health, volunteering, and living by your values
• Wellbeing and resilience in later life Why many people feel emotionally steadier with age, and what helps

Related: Loneliness, Coping skills that work, Sleep, Self-esteem, Daily practices and Mental health in later life.

Explore wellbeing

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.