[Psychological well-being and related concepts: a conceptual comparative analysis.]

The concept of psychological well-being acquired more importance in the field of health over the last decade. Ever since research paid more attention to "quality of life", psychological well-being became popular. The increasing interest in this concept entailed the development of many scales of measure. However, less importance has been given to the conceptual development of its construct, thus creating confusion between terms which at first appear similar: psychological well-being, subjective well-being, quality of life, spirit, satisfaction in life, happiness and mental health. The objective of this literature review (n:57) was to conduct a conceptual and comparative analysis (Morse et al., 1996) of psychological well-being with competitive concepts according to a comtemporary approach of analysis. Results show that these concepts are distinct and should not be used in an interchangeable way. They are distinct on various levels: type of measure (objective/subjective), type of evaluation (cognitive and affective), attributes, antecedents, consequences and influence of time (temporary/stable). Results of this review brings new light at the conceptual level for several terms. Graphic 1 illustrates its various positions thus favoring a better use of these terms in research.