title: [General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): the effect of negative items in its factorial structure].
abstract: The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) detects non severe psychiatric illnesses. Although commonly treated as a general index, the definition of its factorial structure is cause for debate. This study aimed to test this structure comparing three models: two frequently cited in the literature (one- and bi- factorial) and a third, also one-factor, which controls response bias due to the negative wording of items. A total of 1,180 people participated (300 undergraduates, 311 military policemen, 274 elementary school teachers and 295 members of the general population) answering the GHQ-12 and demographic questions. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the one-factor structure, controlling by the wording effect, gathered the best fit indexes, except among the military. This structure showed greater than 0.80 reliability in all groups. It was concluded that the one-factor model of the GHQ-12 is more appropriate, however, future studies are required with people with different occupations and levels of mental health.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brasil. vvgouveia@gmail.com
authors.forename: Valdiney V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.forename: Tiago Jessé Souza de
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Rildésia Silva Veloso
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.forename: Leogildo Alves
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Freires
authors.forename: Larisse Helena Gomes Macedo
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009790:Occupations; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*