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The value of an improved scoring system (CGHQ) for the General Health Questionnaire in a representative community sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Felicia A. Huppert ,
Mauvis Gore  and
B. Jane Elliott
Felicia A. Huppert*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University Clinical School, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
Mauvis Gore
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University Clinical School, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
B. Jane Elliott
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University Clinical School, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr F. A. Huppert, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University Clinical School, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road. Cambridge CB2 2QQ.
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Synopsis

The value of a new method of scoring the General Health Questionnaire (CGHQ) has been assessed in a representative sample of 6317 British community residents aged 18 +. The CGHQ, which takes account of the chronicity of psychiatric symptoms, is found to be superior to the conventional scoring method in yielding a wider range of scores, a more normal distribution and in its close association to a well validated measure of neurotic illness.

On the other hand, the conventional GHQ and the CGHQ score appear equally sensitive to a number of socio-demographic variables, including social class, marital status and employment. An important finding is that the two methods identify different individuals as cases. Compared with the GHQ, the CGHQ identifies a higher proportion of the middle-aged. The implications of these findings with respect to the optimal method of scoring the GHQ are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , November 1988 , pp. 1001 - 1006
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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