28-Item General Health Questionnaire

Question 1

Objective

Answer 1

• Screening device for identifying minor psychiatric disorders in the general population and within community or non-psychiatric clinical settings.
• Four subscales – somatic symptoms, anxiety / sleeplessness, social dysfunction, and severe depression – make up the shorter 28 item GHQ.
• Suitable for all ages from adolescent upwards.
• Assesses the respondent’s current state and asks if that differs from his or her usual state.
• Its an outcome measure that’s sensitive to short-term psychiatric disorders but not to long-standing attributes of the respondent.

Question 1

Intended Population

Answer 1

• Focuses on two major areas:
• The inability to carry out normal functions
• The appearance of new and distressing phenomena.

Question 2

Method of Use

Answer 2

• Self-administered questionnaire.
• Ideal screening device for identifying non-psychotic and minor psychiatric disorders to help inform further intervention.

Question 3

Evidence

Answer 3

• Montazeri et al reported a Conbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.87 showing a satisfactory outcome from the reliability analysis. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability have both been showed to be outstanding and test-retest reliability has been reported to be high.
• The GHQ-12 and global quality of life ratings significantly correlated negatively, as predicted, according to convergent validity. Also stated is high internal consistency. The Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HADS) and other measures of depression are well correlated with the GHQ-28.
• The responsiveness of the GHQ-28 in terms of minimal detectable change (MDC) and minimally clinically important difference (MCID) has not been determined because it was designed as a screening tool.

Question 4

Limitations and Considerations

Answer 4

• It is reliable and widely used.
• Primarily identified non-psychotic and minor psychiatric disorders and may not effectively detect severe or complex psychiatric conditions.
• Not designed to provide a formal diagnosis but rather to highlight the need for further clinical assessment.
• Cultural and linguistic differences can influence responses, necessitating validation studies for specific populations.
• The GHQ is less sensitive to long-term psychiatric attributes or chronic mental health conditions, limiting its utility in longitudinal studies or ongoing mental health monitoring.