title: Severity of psychiatric disorder and the 30-item general health questionnaire.
abstract: The 30-item General Health Questionnaire misclassified 26 per cent of respondents in two samples of women who were interviewed by a psychiatrist using the Present State Examination. False negatives were likely to be women with chronic disorders, particularly anxiety states. False positives were likely to be distressed by severe physical illness, a recent adverse life event, or loneliness. Applying a higher threshold score to their GHQ responses would help to separate those with a diagnosable psychiatric disorder from those in states of distress.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008132:Loneliness; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires