Background: The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) is a widely used screening tool for mental health assessment however its traditional scoring methods and cutoffs may not adequately capture the mental health complexities of younger populations. Methods: This study explores GHQ-12 responses from a sample of university students. Possible differences in means scores considering gender, age, academic field and degree course were assessed through t-test or one-way ANOVA as appropriate. To deeper understanding different levels of severity and individual item impact on general distress measurement, we applied Item-Response-Theory (IRT) techniques (two-parameters logistic model). We compared students' population with a population of workers who underwent a similar psychological evaluation. Results: A total of 3834 university students participated in the study. Results showed that a significant proportion (79%) of students reported psychological distress. Females and younger students obtained significantly higher average scores compared to others. IRT analysis found item-specific variations in mental distress levels, with more indicative items for short-term fluctuations and potential severe mental health concerns. Latent class analysis identified three distinct subgroups among students (including 20%, 37%, 43% of the participants respectively) with different levels of psychological distress severity. Comparison with a population of adults showed that students reported significantly higher scores with differences in the scale behavior. Conclusion: Our results highlighted the unique mental health challenges faced by students, suggesting a reevaluation of GHQ-12 applicability and cutoff scores for younger populations, emphasizing the need for accurate instruments in mental health evaluation.

Comotti, A., Barnini, T., Fattori, A., Paladino, M., Riva, M., Bonzini, M., et al. (2024). Rethinking students’ mental health assessment through GHQ-12: evidence from the IRT approach. BMC PSYCHOLOGY, 12(1) [10.1186/s40359-024-01808-4].

Rethinking students’ mental health assessment through GHQ-12: evidence from the IRT approach

Comotti A.
;
Barnini T.;Paladino M. E.;Riva M. A.;Belingheri M.
2024

Abstract

Background: The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) is a widely used screening tool for mental health assessment however its traditional scoring methods and cutoffs may not adequately capture the mental health complexities of younger populations. Methods: This study explores GHQ-12 responses from a sample of university students. Possible differences in means scores considering gender, age, academic field and degree course were assessed through t-test or one-way ANOVA as appropriate. To deeper understanding different levels of severity and individual item impact on general distress measurement, we applied Item-Response-Theory (IRT) techniques (two-parameters logistic model). We compared students' population with a population of workers who underwent a similar psychological evaluation. Results: A total of 3834 university students participated in the study. Results showed that a significant proportion (79%) of students reported psychological distress. Females and younger students obtained significantly higher average scores compared to others. IRT analysis found item-specific variations in mental distress levels, with more indicative items for short-term fluctuations and potential severe mental health concerns. Latent class analysis identified three distinct subgroups among students (including 20%, 37%, 43% of the participants respectively) with different levels of psychological distress severity. Comparison with a population of adults showed that students reported significantly higher scores with differences in the scale behavior. Conclusion: Our results highlighted the unique mental health challenges faced by students, suggesting a reevaluation of GHQ-12 applicability and cutoff scores for younger populations, emphasizing the need for accurate instruments in mental health evaluation.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Covid-19; General Health Questionnaire; Item response theory; Occupational health surveillance; University students;
English
29-mag-2024
2024
12
1
308
none
Comotti, A., Barnini, T., Fattori, A., Paladino, M., Riva, M., Bonzini, M., et al. (2024). Rethinking students’ mental health assessment through GHQ-12: evidence from the IRT approach. BMC PSYCHOLOGY, 12(1) [10.1186/s40359-024-01808-4].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/482940
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