The detection of mental disorders in the community using a 20-item interview version of the General Health Questionnaire

Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1994 Jan;89(1):14-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01479.x.

Abstract

A 20-item interview version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to presumptively identify cases with mental disorders in a sample of 810 community residents. Subjects also were examined by psychiatrists using the Present State Examination (PSE). The screening instrument performed well in detecting PSE-CATEGO syndromes related to anxiety and depression, but less well in detecting psychotic syndromes and cognitive impairment. The overall sensitivity of the instrument for any PSE-CATEGO syndrome was 48%. The study elucidates the specific nature of the psychopathology that this version of the GHQ is likely to detect in the community.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Baltimore / epidemiology
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Cognition Disorders / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Psychotic Disorders / diagnosis
  • Psychotic Disorders / epidemiology
  • Psychotic Disorders / psychology
  • Syndrome
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data*