The factor structure of the GHQ: a scaled version for a hospital's general practice service in Mexico

This paper reports the factor structure of the symptoms comprising the GHQ when it is administered in the general practice service of a hospital. Two shorter versions are proposed: one with 6 scales and 30 items, and the other with 4 scales and 28 items. The latter is compared with the 28-item English version. Preliminary data concerning the validity of the scales are presented. In a comparison of the screening potentiality of the 60- and 28-item versions, no significant differences were found.