[General Health Questionnaire-12 for the detection of depression]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychological Assessment
• Student Mental Health

Background:

• Depression is a common mental health issue among university students.
• Accurate screening tools are vital for early detection and intervention.
• The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) is a widely used screening instrument.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of the GHQ-12 for detecting depression in university students.
• To determine optimal cut-off points for the GHQ-12 in this demographic.
• To assess the GHQ-12's reliability and diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

• 170 university students attending a psychiatric clinic completed the GHQ-12 and a sociodemographic form.
• Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders (SCID-I) was used for psychiatric diagnoses.
• Sensitivity, specificity, and internal consistency of the GHQ-12 were calculated.

Main Results:

• Depression was the most frequent diagnosis (49%).
• The GHQ-12 demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.88).
• Optimal sensitivity and specificity for depression were achieved with a cut-off score of 8/9 (75% and 77%, respectively).

Conclusions:

• The GHQ-12 is a valuable tool for screening depression in university students.
• A higher cut-off point (8/9) is suggested for improved accuracy in this population.
• Student-specific factors may influence GHQ-12 scores, necessitating adjusted cut-offs.