The article evaluates the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess positive mental health. The study, conducted on a representative sample of 1,662 Dutch adults, aimed to confirm the structure, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the MHC-SF. The results showed high internal reliability and moderate test-retest reliability for the MHC-SF, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supporting a three-factor structure in emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The MHC-SF subscales correlated well with corresponding aspects of well-being and functioning, demonstrating convergent validity. CFA also supported the hypothesis of two separate yet related factors for mental health and mental illness, showing discriminant validity. The findings suggest that positive mental health is a distinct indicator of mental well-being that can be reliably assessed using the MHC-SF. The study has implications for mental health policy and care, highlighting the importance of promoting positive mental health alongside addressing mental illness.The article evaluates the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess positive mental health. The study, conducted on a representative sample of 1,662 Dutch adults, aimed to confirm the structure, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the MHC-SF. The results showed high internal reliability and moderate test-retest reliability for the MHC-SF, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supporting a three-factor structure in emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The MHC-SF subscales correlated well with corresponding aspects of well-being and functioning, demonstrating convergent validity. CFA also supported the hypothesis of two separate yet related factors for mental health and mental illness, showing discriminant validity. The findings suggest that positive mental health is a distinct indicator of mental well-being that can be reliably assessed using the MHC-SF. The study has implications for mental health policy and care, highlighting the importance of promoting positive mental health alongside addressing mental illness.