Authenticity as a Predictor of Mental Health

The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between authenticity and mental health on a sample of 706 students. Results showed that all subscales of the Authenticity scale (authentic living, accepting external influence and self-alienation) were correlated with all general scales and subscales of the MHI-38 (psychological distress – anxiety, depression, loss of behavioural/emotional control; psychological well-being – overall positive affect, emotional ties and satisfaction with life and overall mental health index). Hierarchical regression showed that authenticity composed of all three dimensions together is a statistically significant predictor of psychological distress, psychological well-being and overall mental health index. The confirmation that authenticity is closely connected to mental health and significantly contributes to it is a good example of how classic perspectives in psychological counselling can set further directions of research within personality psychology. Keywords: authenticity, mental health, students