Poset-based analysis of two dimensions of mental well-being in Europe

This study explores the relationship between mental wellbeing and socio-demographic factors in Europe using data from the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). It employs non-aggregative methodologies: poset-based analysis, specifically Fuzzy First Order Dominance (F-FOD) on partially ordered sets is applied to compare groups without aggregating or assigning weights to ordinal scales, thus preserving the qualitative essence of subjective data. To validate our approach, we compared the results with a traditional aggregative method, the WHO-5 well-being index. The results show a higher mental well-being for males, higher educated, higher income groups; and the classical Ushaped relationship is observed with age. Among immigrant generations, second generation immigrants report higher mental well-being than natives, while first-generation immigrants experience elevated depression despite high well-being. Northern and Western European countries report higher mental well-being than Southern and Eastern Europe, partly aligning with international rankings. The poset methodology, moreover, reveals incomparable cases that are often oversimplified in aggregated approaches such as the WHO-5 index. While traditional rankings may suggest a straightforward hierarchy among groups or countries, the posetbased approach reveals situations where sub-populations may not be easily ranked against one another due to distinct patterns in mental wellbeing. This approach emphasizes the complex, multi-dimensional nature of mental well-being, offering a valuable perspective for public policy.