Patient Health Questionnaire: Greek language validation and subscale factor structure

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Mental Health Assessment
• Cross-cultural Adaptation

Background:

• The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is a widely used tool for screening mental health conditions.
• Validating translated instruments is crucial for accurate mental health assessment in diverse populations.
• No prior studies have examined the psychometric properties of the Greek PHQ or its factor structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Greek translation of the PHQ.
• To evaluate the PHQ's performance in a sample of Greek-speaking university students in Cyprus.
• To establish the suitability of the Greek PHQ for mental health screening in this population.

Main Methods:

• Translation and cultural adaptation of the PHQ according to international standards.
• Administration of the Greek PHQ and convergent validity measures to 520 university students.
• Analysis of internal consistency, convergent validity, and factor structure of the PHQ subscales.

Main Results:

• The Greek PHQ subscales demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .75) and convergent validity (r = 0.52).
• Factor structures varied: depression, alcohol, and anxiety were single-factor; eating disorders, panic disorder, and somatization showed multi-factor structures.
• The PHQ showed good psychometric properties overall, with the alcohol subscale requiring further investigation.

Conclusions:

• The Greek version of the PHQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing mental health in Greek-speaking university students.
• The factor structure of most PHQ subscales is appropriate, supporting its use in this population.
• Further psychometric research on the Greek PHQ is recommended, particularly in primary care settings.