Psychometric validation of the German Warwick- Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) in an undergraduate health professions students cohort in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

Background
Mental well-being of health professions students is under pressure. Therefore, validated measurement tools that assess and monitor mental well-being in this population are in high demand. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) is an internationally established measurement tool for the assessment of mental well-being (hedonic and eudaimonic) that has been validated in several populations, including students. However, to date not yet for German-speaking undergraduate health professions students in Switzerland.
Methods
A total of 290 undergraduate health professions students from a university of applied sciences in Switzerland participated in this cross-sectional study. The psychometric properties of the German WEMWBS were evaluated at both the scale and item levels by applying a combined approach using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses.
Results
The three-factor model showed the best fit in the Swiss German context with acceptable to good internal consistency for all subscales and excellent internal consistency for the entire scale. IRT analyses using the Graded Response Model indicated moderate to good item discrimination and well-ordered thresholds across the latent trait continuum. The scale showed high measurement precision at a broad range of trait levels, supporting its reliability and psychometric adequacy.
Conclusion
The German WEMWBS demonstrated strong psychometric properties for assessing mental well-being among Swiss health professions students. It offers a practical tool for routine monitoring, enabling institutions to identify students with low mental well-being and guide early support efforts.