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Severity of Psychiatric Disorder and the 30-Item General Health Questionnaire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Robert A. Finlay-Jones  and
Elaine Murphy
Robert A. Finlay-Jones
Affiliation:
Social Research Unit, Bedford College, University of London, 51 Harley Street, London W1N 1DD
Elaine Murphy
Affiliation:
Social Research Unit, Bedford College, University of London, 51 Harley Street, London W1N 1DD
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Summary

The 30-item General Health Questionnaire misclassified 26 per cent of respondents in two samples of women who were interviewed by a psychiatrist using the Present State Examination. False negatives were likely to be women with chronic disorders, particularly anxiety states. False positives were likely to be distressed by severe physical illness, a recent adverse life event, or loneliness. Applying a higher threshold score to their GHQ, responses would help to separate those with a diagnosable psychiatric disorder from those in states of distress.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 134 , Issue 6 , June 1979 , pp. 609 - 616
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

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