Outcome MeasureWell-being

WHO-5

WHO Well-Being Index

2 Papers in Blossom

About This Instrument

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index is a short, positively worded 5-item self-report measure of current mental well-being developed by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Items cover cheerfulness, calm/relaxation, active/vigorous feelings, waking up refreshed, and daily interest. Each item is rated 0–5 over the past two weeks, with raw scores (0–25) multiplied by 4 to yield a percentage scale (0–100). A score below 28 suggests possible depression and warrants further assessment. The WHO-5 is valued in psychedelic research for its focus on positive psychological states rather than symptom reduction, complementing deficit-focused measures like the PHQ-9 or MADRS. It is among the most widely used well-being measures globally, translated into over 30 languages, and is free for use. Its sensitivity to change makes it suitable for detecting improvements in subjective well-being following psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Clinical Thresholds

Poor well-being

Low

Adequate

Good

0100

Poor well-being

Score 0–28

Low

Score 29–50

Adequate

Score 51–72

Good

Score 73–100

Outcome Data Across Studies

Reported results for WHO-5 across 2 studies with quantitative data.

Outcome data across 4 study arm–timepoint observations
					SD
Low dose oral ketamine treatment in chronic suicidality: An open-label pilot study 2021Secondary	Oral ketamine(experimental)	0	30	17.6	17.2	—
Low dose oral ketamine treatment in chronic suicidality: An open-label pilot study 2021Secondary	Oral ketamine(experimental)	70	30	33.6	29.4	—
Relationships between reduction in symptoms and restoration of function and wellbeing: Outcomes of the Oral Ketamine Trial on Suicidality (OKTOS) 2021Secondary	Oral ketamine(experimental)	0	32	16.0	—	—
Relationships between reduction in symptoms and restoration of function and wellbeing: Outcomes of the Oral Ketamine Trial on Suicidality (OKTOS) 2021Secondary	Oral ketamine(experimental)	42	30	20.0	—	—

Papers Using WHO-5

Paywallindividual

Relationships between reduction in symptoms and restoration of function and wellbeing: Outcomes of the Oral Ketamine Trial on Suicidality (OKTOS)

This open-label trial (n=30) examined the effects of weekly oral ketamine treatment over six weeks on functional recovery in adults with chronic suicidality. It finds that while depression and suicidality scores improved, effect sizes for social functioning and wellbeing were smaller, suggesting that symptom reduction alone may not restore full functioning.

Published: November 1, 2021
Journal: Psychiatry Research
Authors: Beaudequin, D. A., Can, A. T., Jones, M., Yang, C., Scherman, J., Dutton, M., Schwenn, P. E., Forsyth, C. G., Jensen, E., Hermens, D. F., Lagopoulos, J.

Open Accessindividual

Low dose oral ketamine treatment in chronic suicidality: An open-label pilot study

In an open‑label pilot (n = 32) of six weeks' low‑dose oral ketamine for chronic suicidality, mean Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation scores fell from above to below the clinical threshold, with 69% showing clinical improvement at week 6 and 50% maintaining significant improvement at 10‑week follow‑up. These results suggest oral ketamine is a feasible, tolerable alternative to IV ketamine for reducing suicidal ideation.

Published: February 4, 2021
Journal: Translational Psychiatry
Authors: Can, A. T., Hermens, D. F., Dutton, M., Gallay, C. C., Jensen, E., Jones, M., Scherman, J., Beaudequin, D. A., Yang, C., Schwenn, P. E., Lagopoulos, J.

Quick Facts

Full Name: WHO Well-Being Index
Domain: Well-being
Papers Indexed: 2
Score Range: 0–100
Interpretation: Higher = better
Unit: percentage
Reference: Visit

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