THE DETECTION OF MENTAL-DISORDERS IN THE COMMUNITY USING A 20-ITEM INTERVIEW VERSION OF THE GENERAL-HEALTH-QUESTIONNAIRE

A 20-item interview version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to presumptively identify cases with mental disorders in a sa mple of 810 community residents. Subjects also were examined by psychi atrists using the Present State Examination (PSE). The screening instr ument performed well in detecting PSE-CATEGO syndromes related to anxi ety and depression, but less well in detecting psychotic syndromes and cognitive impairment. The overall sensitivity of the instrument for a ny PSE-CATEGO syndrome was 48%. The study elucidates the specific natu re of the psychopathology that this version of the GHQ is likely to de tect in the community.