General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28)
A 28-item self-report scale designed to screen for somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was developed by David P. Goldberg (1978). It is designed to measure Psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 28 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Somatic symptoms, Anxiety and insomnia, Social dysfunction, Severe depression.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic symptoms | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Anxiety and insomnia | 8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 7 |
| Social dysfunction | 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 | 7 |
| Severe depression | 22,23,24,25,26,27,28 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = No more than usual, 3 = Rather more than usual, 4 = Much more than usual.
The scale includes 7 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 84. Interpretation guidelines:
- Normal/Low Distress (using standard 0-3 Likert scoring): 0 – 23
- Significant Psychological Distress (using standard 0-3 Likert scoring): 24 – 84
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from 0.90 to 0.95.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.