Stratum-specific likelihood ratios of the General Health Questionnaire in the community: help-seeking and physical co-morbidity affect the test characteristics

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 743-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. FURUKAWA ◽  
G. ANDREWS ◽  
D. P. GOLDBERG
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
National Survey ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Likelihood Ratios ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
Co Morbidity

Background. In evidence-based medicine, stratum-specific likelihood ratios (SSLRs) are now being increasingly recognized as a more convenient and generalizable method to interpret diagnostic information than an optimal cut-off and its associated sensitivity and specificity. We previously examined the SSLRs of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in primary care settings. The present paper aims to examine if these SSLRs are generalizable to the community settings.Methods. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the GHQ were administered on a representative sample of the Australian population in the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. We first compared the SSLRs of GHQ in urban Australia with the estimates that we had previously obtained from the developed urban centres in the WHO Psychological Problems in General Health Care study. If the SSLRs in the community were found to differ significantly from those in the primary care, we sought for explanatory variables.Results. The SSLRs in urban Australia and in the urban centres in the WHO study were significantly different for three out of the six strata. When we limited the sample to those with physical problems who visited a health professional, however, the SSLRs in the Australian study were strikingly close to those observed for primary care settings.Conclusions. Different sets of SSLRs apply to primary care and general population samples. For general population surveys in developed countries, the results of the Australian National Survey represent the currently available best estimates. For developing countries or rural areas, the results are less definitive and an investigator may wish to conduct a pilot study.

scholarly journals Detecting common mental disorders in primary care in India: a comparison of five screening questionnaires

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Patel ◽  
R. Araya ◽  
N. Chowdhary ◽  
M. King ◽  
B. Kirkwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire ◽  
Distress Scale

BackgroundScreening of patients for common mental disorders (CMDs) is needed in primary-care management programmes. This study aimed to compare the screening properties of five widely used questionnaires.MethodAdult attenders in five primary-care settings in India were recruited through systematic sampling. Four questionnaires were administered, in pairs, in random order to participants: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ, 12 items); the Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ, nine items); the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10, 10 items), and from which we could extract the score of the shorter 6-item K6; and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ, 20 items). All participants were interviewed with a structured lay diagnostic interview, the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R).ResultsComplete data were available for 598 participants (participation rate 99.3%). All five questionnaires showed moderate to high discriminating ability; the GHQ and SRQ showed the best results. All five showed moderate to high degrees of correlation with one another, the poorest being between the two shortest questionnaires, K6 and PHQ. All five had relatively good internal consistency. However, the positive predictive value (PPV) of the questionnaires compared with the diagnostic interview ranged from 51% to 77% at the optimal cut-off scores.ConclusionsThere is little difference in the ability of these questionnaires to identify cases accurately, but none showed high PPVs without a considerable compromise on sensitivity. Hence, the choice of an optimum cut-off score that yields the best balance between sensitivity and PPV may need to be tailored to individual settings, with a higher cut-off being recommended in resource-limited primary-care settings.

Deprivation and Social Support in Mental Health of Welfare Recipients in Japan

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 372-386
Author(s):  
Takahiro Yoshizumi ◽  
Seiko Mizutani ◽  
Soshiro Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
General Population ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Deprivation Index ◽  
Welfare Recipients ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Social Support Scale

Although many Western studies examining the mental health of welfare recipients exist, Japanese welfare recipients have been overlooked. This study investigated mental health among welfare recipients in Japan and relations with a sense of deprivation of life's necessities and social support. Participants ( n = 305) completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Proportional Deprivation Index, and a social support scale. Participants' GHQ-12 scores exceeded those of the general public, as 54.9% scored above the cut-off, suggesting poorer mental health among welfare recipients than the general population. Proportional Deprivation Index and emotional support from relatives and friends were associated with GHQ-12 scores. These results suggest that while chronic deprivation is associated with poorer mental health among welfare recipients, receiving emotional support may help cope with distress and maintain mental health.

scholarly journals Reliability, Validity and Factor Structure of the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire among General Population

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miodraga Stefanovska Petkovska ◽  
Marjan I. Bojadziev ◽  
Vesna Velikj Stefanovska
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Oblique Rotation ◽  
Nationally Representative

AIM: The aim of the study is to analyze the internal consistency; validity and factor structure of the twelve item General Health Questionnaire for the Macedonian general population.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data came from nationally representative sample of 1603 randomly selected Macedonians all aged 18 years or older.RESULTS: The mean GHQ score in the general sample was found to be 7.9 (SD = 4.3). The results revealed a higher GHQ score among women (M = 8.91, SD = 4.5) compared to men (M = 6.89; SD = 4.2). The participants from the rural areas obtained a lower GHQ score (M = 7.55, SD = 3.8) compared to participants coming from the urban areas (M = 9.37, SD = 4.1). The principal component analysis with oblique rotation (direct oblimin) with maximum likelihood procedure solution was performed and the results yielded a three factor solution which jointly accounted for 57.17% of the total variance: Factor I named social management (items 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8); Factor II stress (items 2, 5 and 9) and Factor III named self-confidence (items 10, 11 and 12). Its factor structure is in line with representative research from other population groups.CONCLUSION: The GHQ-12 can be used effectively for assessment of the overall psychological well-being and detection of non-psychotic psychiatric problems among the Macedonian population.

scholarly journals Coping and health in harassed teachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 437
Author(s):  
MARIA CONSUELO MORÁN ASTORGA
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Brief Cope ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

The present study examined the relationship among bullying, coping strategies, and health in a sample of 255 Spanish teachers. They completed a set of questionnaires to evaluate: 1) bullying (with a bullying perceived questionnaire); 2) health (with General Health Questionnaire); and 3) coping strategies (with the Brief COPE). Results showed that teachers bullied by colleagues had a poorer health than those not bullied. The analysis established also the differences between targets and non-targets in coping strategies: It was observed that bullying targets use more non-functional coping strategies and fewer functional ones than non-targets. These results suggest that it is necessary eradicate bullying in order to improve workers’ health and well-being. The victims also need to change their strategies to coping harassment. More investigations in these issues are needed, as they are essential to workplace health and well-being.ResumenEn este estudio se examinó la relación entre el sentimiento de acoso psicológico en el trabajo, la salud y las estrategias de afrontamiento del estrés. Participaron 255 profesores no universitarios que completaron el Cuestionario de Acoso Psicológico Percibido, el Cuestionario de Salud General y el Brief Cope (Cope-28, en español). Los resultados hallaron que los profesores acosados por colegas tenían peor salud que los no acosados. Se encontraron también diferencias en el uso de estrategias de afrontamiento entre las víctimas y las no víctimas de acoso: las primeras utilizan más estrategias disfuncionales y menos estrategias funcionales. Estos resultados sugieren que es necesario erradicar el acoso en el entorno laboral con el fin de mejorar la salud y el bienestar. También las víctimas de acoso necesitan cambiar sus estrategias de afrontar el bullying. Son necesarias mas investigaciones en el campo de la salud y el bienestar en el ámbito laboral.

Validity of the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire in detecting depression in the general population

Public Health ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 136 ◽  
pp. 66-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lundin ◽  
M. Hallgren ◽  
H. Theobald ◽  
C. Hellgren ◽  
M. Torgén
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Health Questionnaire

Psychiatric well-being among men leaving prison reporting a history of injecting drug use: A longitudinal analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110481
Author(s):  
Ashleigh C Stewart ◽  
Reece Cossar ◽  
Anna Lee Wilkinson ◽  
Nick Scott ◽  
Paul Dietze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Injecting Drug Use ◽  
Community Reintegration ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Questionnaire Score ◽  
History Of ◽  
General Health Questionnaire Score

Background: Community reintegration from prison is typically stressful, with several health and social outcomes impacting psychiatric well-being during this time, often exacerbated among individuals with histories of drug use. Longitudinal data was used to assess change in psychiatric well-being over 2 years following release from prison among men who reported a recent history of injecting drug use. Methods: Data for this study come from the Prison and Transition Health cohort study of 400 men recruited in prison prior to release and followed up over three time points. Psychiatric well-being was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. We calculated change in individual General Health Questionnaire scores between interviews and identified covariates associated with General Health Questionnaire score using linear mixed-effects regression. Results: Data from 690 follow-up interviews among 326 participants were included in analyses. There was considerable variation in individuals’ General Health Questionnaire scores. Moving accommodation frequently and frequent illicit drug injections were associated with an increase in General Health Questionnaire score (i.e. decline in psychiatric well-being). Two or more prior adult imprisonment episodes, social supports and past month primary healthcare attendance were associated with a decrease in General Health Questionnaire score. Conclusion: Our findings identify health, social and structural influences on psychiatric well-being after release from prison that can inform re-entry programmes to support community reintegration.

A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. P. Goldberg ◽  
V. F. Hillier
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
General Health ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Primary Care Setting ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Item Questionnaire

SYNOPSISThis study reports the factor structure of the symptoms comprising the General Health Questionnaire when it is completed in a primary care setting. A shorter, 28-item GHQ is proposed consisting of 4 subscales: somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression. Preliminary data concerning the validity of these scales are presented, and the performance of the whole 28-item questionnaire as a screening test is evaluated. The factor structure of the symptomatology is found to be very similar for 3 independent sets of data.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document