Scale Overview
The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was developed by David Goldberg & Paul Williams (1991). It is designed to measure General psychological distress and psychiatric co-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 Likert 0-3 scoring): 0 – 23
- High distress / Possible psychiatric morbidity (using Likert 0-3 scoring): 24 – 84
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (typically Cronbach's alpha 0.90-0.95).
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.