A Lundin1, M Hallgren2, H Theobald3, C Hellgren4, M Torgén5. 1. Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: andreas.lundin@ki.se. 2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 3. Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Stockholm County Council and Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 4. Swedish Council for Higher Education, Stockholm, Sweden. 5. Department of Medical Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is frequently used to measure common mental disorder in public health surveys, but few population-based validations have been made. We validated the GHQ-12 against structured psychiatric interviews of depression using a population-based cohort in Stockholm, Sweden. METHODS: We used a population-based cohort of 484 individuals in Stockholm, Sweden (participation rate 62%). All completed the GHQ-12 and a semi-structured psychiatric interview. Last month DSM-III-R symptoms were used to classify major and minor depression. Three scoring methods for GHQ-12 were assessed, the Standard, Likert and Corrected method. Discriminatory ability was assessed with area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 9.5% had a major or minor depression. The area under the ROC curve was for the Standard method 0.73 (0.65-0.82), the Likert method 0.80 (0.72-0.87) and the Corrected method 0.80 (0.73-0.87) when using major or minor depression as standard criterion. Adequate sensitivity and specificity for separating those with or without a depressive disorder was reached at ≥12 Likert scored points (80.4 and 69.6%) or ≥6 Corrected GHQ points (78.3 and 73.7%). Sensitivity and specificity was at ≥2 Standard scored points 67.4% and 74.2%. CONCLUSION: When scored using the Likert and Corrected methods, the GHQ-12 performed excellently. When scored using the Standard method, performance was acceptable in detecting depressive disorder in the general population. The GHQ-12 appears to be a good proxy for depressive disorder when used in public health surveys.
OBJECTIVES: The 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is frequently used to measure common mental disorder in public health surveys, but few population-based validations have been made. We validated the GHQ-12 against structured psychiatric interviews of depression using a population-based cohort in Stockholm, Sweden. METHODS: We used a population-based cohort of 484 individuals in Stockholm, Sweden (participation rate 62%). All completed the GHQ-12 and a semi-structured psychiatric interview. Last month DSM-III-R symptoms were used to classify major and minor depression. Three scoring methods for GHQ-12 were assessed, the Standard, Likert and Corrected method. Discriminatory ability was assessed with area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 9.5% had a major or minor depression. The area under the ROC curve was for the Standard method 0.73 (0.65-0.82), the Likert method 0.80 (0.72-0.87) and the Corrected method 0.80 (0.73-0.87) when using major or minor depression as standard criterion. Adequate sensitivity and specificity for separating those with or without a depressive disorder was reached at ≥12 Likert scored points (80.4 and 69.6%) or ≥6 Corrected GHQ points (78.3 and 73.7%). Sensitivity and specificity was at ≥2 Standard scored points 67.4% and 74.2%. CONCLUSION: When scored using the Likert and Corrected methods, the GHQ-12 performed excellently. When scored using the Standard method, performance was acceptable in detecting depressive disorder in the general population. The GHQ-12 appears to be a good proxy for depressive disorder when used in public health surveys.
Authors: Kate Dotsikas; David Osborn; Kate Walters; Jennifer Dykxhoorn Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2022-06-29 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Naiara Demnitz; Melis Anatürk; Charlotte L Allan; Nicola Filippini; Ludovica Griffanti; Clare E Mackay; Abda Mahmood; Claire E Sexton; Sana Suri; Anya G Topiwala; Enikő Zsoldos; Mika Kivimäki; Archana Singh-Manoux; Klaus P Ebmeier Journal: J Psychiatr Res Date: 2020-09-09 Impact factor: 4.791