Youth Perspectives on Positive Mental Health: Insights from a Qualitative Study in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population

The importance of fostering positive mental health (PMH) among young people is well established, yet the perspectives of youth on what PMH means to them remain largely underexplored. This qualitative study aimed to address this gap by examining how adolescents and young adults in a multi-ethnic Asian population understand and make sense of PMH. Data were collected from a multi-ethnic sample of youths aged 15 to 24 residing in Singapore, intentionally including youths with backgrounds such as delinquency and incomplete education to ensure diversity of experience. Data were gathered through 11 focus group discussions and 25 individual semi-structured interviews comprising 95 youths and analysed using hybrid inductive/deductive thematic analysis approach based on Braun and Clarke. From the participants’ accounts, five overarching themes of youth PMH emerged: (1) positive outlook and affectivity, capturing youths’ ability to embrace, experience, and generate pleasant emotions; (2) self-efficacy and personal goals, reflecting a sense of control over one’s choices and motivation to grow; (3) self-concept, encompassing self-awareness, positive self-identity, self-esteem, and self-love; (4) resilience and coping, relating to managing adversity effectively; and (5) social connection and interpersonal skills, highlighting the importance of forming and maintaining meaningful relationships. These themes suggest that young people view PMH as an active, dynamic state of being rather than a passive one. The inclusion of participants with diverse lived experiences enriches these findings and underscores the importance of capturing voices that are often excluded in mental health research.