Background. Different versions of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), i
ncluding the GHQ-12 and GHQ-28 have been subjected to factor analysis in a
variety of countries. The World Health Organization study of psychological
disorders in general health care offered the opportunity to investigate the
factor structure of both GHQ versions in 15 different centres.
Methods. The factor structures of the GHQ-12 and GHQ-28 extracted by princi
pal component analysis were compared in participating centres. The GHQ-12 w
as completed by 26120 patients and 5273 patients completed the GHQ-28. The
factor structure of the GHQ-28 found in Manchester in this study was compar
ed with that found in the earlier study in 1979.
Results. For the GHQ-12, substantial factor variation between centres was f
ound. After rotation, two factors expressing depression and social dysfunct
ion could be identified. For the GHQ-28, factor variance was less. In gener
al, the original C (social dysfunction) and D (depression) scales of the GH
Q-28 were more stable than the A (somatic symptoms) and B (anxiety) scales.
Multiple cross-loadings occurred in both versions of the GHQ suggesting co
rrelation of the extracted factors. In Manchester, the factor structure of
the GHQ had changed since its development. Validity as a case detector was
not affected by factor variance.
Conclusions. These findings confirm that despite factor variation for the G
HQ-12, two domains, depression and social dysfunction, appear across the 15
centres. In the scaled GHQ-28, two of the scales were remarkably robust be
tween the centres. The cross-correlation between the other two subscales, p
robably reflects the strength of the relationship between anxiety and somat
ic symptoms existing in different locations.