The cultural fairness of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among diverse adolescents.

Abstract

The 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used in the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE; N = 15,770) to collect measures on adolescent mental health. Given the debate in current literature regarding the dimensionality of the GHQ-12, this study examined the cultural sensitivity of the instrument at the item level for each of the 7 major ethnic groups within the database. This study used a hybrid approach of ordinal logistic regression and item response theory (IRT) to examine the presence of differential item functioning (DIF) on the questionnaire. Results demonstrated that uniform, nonuniform, and overall DIF were present on items between White and Asian adolescents (7 items), White and Black Caribbean adolescents (1 item), and White and Black African adolescents (7 items), however all McFadden's pseudo R² effect size estimates indicated that the DIF was negligible. Overall, there were cumulative small scale level effects for the Mixed/Biracial, Asian, and Black African groups, but in each case the bias was only marginal. Findings demonstrate that the GHQ-12 can be considered culturally sensitive for adolescents from diverse ethnic groups in England, but follow-up studies are necessary. Implications for future education and health policies as well as the use of IR-based approaches for psychological instruments are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal probability sample survey of the UK population

“…The GHQ-12 underestimates both socioeconomic and ethnic disparities. 18 Furthermore, mental distress in men could be more likely to manifest in ways not captured by the GHQ-12, including alcohol misuse.…”

Poor health and refraining from seeking healthcare are associated with comprehensive health literacy among refugees: a Swedish cross-sectional study

“…Worldwide, in various cultures, it is used for research purposes and as a screening tool for mental health problems. Its validity is judged to be satisfactory (Bowe 2017 ; Goldberg et al 1997 ). A sum score (0–12) was calculated by the usual method (Goldberg et al 1997 ), and thereafter dichotomized into two categories: impaired psychological well-being (≤ 2 points) and not impaired psychological well-being (≥ 3 points).…”

Mental Health Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Probability Sample Survey of the UK Population

“…This means that, for example, the notable proportion (44%) of women aged 16-24 (95% CI 39•2-48•9) who reported clinically significant scores during April 2020 should be interpreted with caution and does not necessarily imply that nearly half of young women in the population require treatment for a mental illness. The GHQ-12 underestimates both socioeconomic and ethnic disparities 20. Further, mental distress in men may be more likely to manifest in ways not captured by the GHQ-12, including alcohol misuse.…”