The factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire in a Japanese high school and university student sample

Factor structures of the 60- and 30-item versions of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were explored, using data collected from 236 Japanese high-school and university students. The 60-item version produced factors interpretable as social functioning, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and severe depression; the 30-item version produced general dysphoria, social functioning, depressive thoughts, difficulty in concentration and insomnia. Although the two versions of the GHQ produced the same number of factors, their structures differed in content. Thus it may be necessary to examine the factor structures of the GHQ when using it in a study of a population containing subjects with different cultural backgrounds.