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Understanding the population structure of the GHQ-12: Methodological considerations in dimensionally complex measurement outcomes

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  • Griffith, Gareth J.
  • Jones, Kelvyn

Abstract

Mental health and its complexity, measurement and social determinants are increasingly important avenues of research for social scientists. Quantitative social science commonly investigates mental health as captured by population screening metrics. One of the most common of these metrics is the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Despite itscanonical use as an outcome of interest in social science, the traditional use of the summed scores of summed questionnaires carries empirical and substantive assumptions which are often not fully considered or justified in the research. We outline the implications of these assumptions and the restrictions imposed by traditional modelling techniques and advocate for a more nuanced approach to population mental health modelling and inference.

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  • Griffith, Gareth J. & Jones, Kelvyn, 2019. "Understanding the population structure of the GHQ-12: Methodological considerations in dimensionally complex measurement outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:243:y:2019:i:c:s0277953619306331
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112638
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Mokhtari, MohammadAli, 2023. "Opioids ease my pain: Early-life malnutrition and elderly outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    3. Etheridge, Ben & Spantig, Lisa, 2022. "The gender gap in mental well-being at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from the UK," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    4. Sarah Susanne Lütke Lanfer & Ruth Pfeifer & Claas Lahmann & Alexander Wünsch, 2022. "How to Measure the Mental Health of Teachers? Psychometric Properties of the GHQ-12 in a Large Sample of German Teachers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Climent Quintana-Domeque & Jingya Zeng & Xiaohui Zhang, 2022. "Internet and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the UK," Discussion Papers 2202, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.

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