What does the general health questionnaire measure?
David Craig
Updated on March 03, 2026
What does the general health questionnaire measure?
The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is a measure of current mental health and since its development by Goldberg in the 1970s it has been extensively used in different settings and different cultures [1-5].
How do you score a General Health Questionnaire 28?
The scoring system applied in this study was the same as the original scoring system [6], the Likert scale 0, 1, 2, 3 [21]. The minimum score for the 28 version is 0, and the maximum is 84. Higher GHQ-28 scores indicate higher levels of distress.
What are the important dimensions of general health questionnaire?
The questionnaire consists of four sub-components that measure public health (somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression), and each component consists of 7 questions. GHQ scoring methods are based on the Likert scale from zero to three and a lower score indicates a better mental state.
What is the GHQ-28 questionnaire?
The General Health Questionnaire – 28 (GHQ-28) is self-report screening. measure used to detect possible psychological disorder. The GHQ-28 identifies two main concerns: (1) the inability to carry out normal functions; and (2) the appearance of new and distressing phenomena (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979).
How do you score GHQ?
How is the GHQ scored?
- GHQ scoring (0-0-1-1). This method is advocated by the test author.
- Likert scoring (0-1-2-3)
- Modified Likert scoring (0-0-1-2)
- C-GHQ scoring (0-0-1-1) for positive items, where agreement indicates health, and 0-1-1-1 for negative items, where agreement indicates illness).
What is the use of GHQ 28?
The GHQ-28 is used to indicate psychological well-being and detect possible cases of psychiatric disorders (psychiatric morbidity).
What is the use of GHQ-28?
What is GHQ-28 used for?
The GHQ-28 is a self-administered instrument widely used as the screening tool for mental disorders in the community (13). It is divided into four subscales, including somatic symptoms, anxiety and sleep disorder, social dysfunction, and depression (14) .
What GHQ 30?
GHQ-30: A screener with “physical” element items removed. GHQ-60: Main version of the GHQ, used to identify cases for more intensive examination. The GHQ focuses on the client’s ability to carry out “normal” functions and the appearance of any new disturbing phenomena.
What is the GHQ 12 questionnaire?
The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) consists of 12 items, each assessing the severity of a mental problem over the past few weeks using a 4-point scale (from 0 to 3). The score was used to generate a total score ranging from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating worse conditions [14].
What is the cut score to suggest the psychological intervention for the general health questionnaire?
Higher GHQ-28 scores indicate higher levels of distress. Goldberg suggests that participants with total scores of 23 or below should be classified as non-psychiatric, while participants with scores > 24 may be classified as psychiatric, but this score is not an absolute cut-off.
What is the general health questionnaire GHQ-12?