Calibrating well-being, quality of life and common mental disorder items: psychometric epidemiology in public mental health research

Jan Boehnke; Tim J. Croudace

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.115.165530

Calibrating well-being, quality of life and common mental disorder items: psychometric epidemiology in public mental health research

Jan Boehnke (Lead / Corresponding author), Tim J. Croudace

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

195 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: The assessment of "general health and well-being" in public mental health research stimulates debates around relative merits of questionnaire instruments and their items. Little evidence regarding alignment or differential advantages of instruments or items has appeared to date.

Aims: Population-based psychometric study of items employed in public mental health narratives.

Methods: Multidimensional item response theory was applied to GHQ-12, WEMWBS and EQ-5D items (Health Survey for England, 2010-2012; N = 19 290).

Results: A bifactor model provided the best account of the data and showed that the GHQ-12 and WEMWBS items assess mainly the same construct. Only one item of the EQ-5D showed relevant overlap with this dimension (anxiety/depression). Findings were corroborated by comparisons with alternative models and cross-validation analyses.

Conclusions: The consequences of this lack of differentiation (GHQ-12 vs. WEMWBS) for mental health and well-being narratives deserve discussion to enrich debates on priorities in public mental health and its assessment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	162-168
Number of pages	7
Journal	British Journal of Psychiatry
Volume	209
Issue number	2
Early online date	3 Dec 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.115.165530
Publication status	Published - 1 Aug 2016

Keywords

Epidemiology
General health
Psychological distress
Mental well-being
Psychometrics
Item response theory

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1192/bjp.bp.115.165530Licence: CC BY

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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.
Final published version, 496 KBLicence: CC BY

Conceptual and analytical advances for core outcomes in psychotherapy research
Jan Boehnke (Speaker)
23 Jun 2021
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation

Boehnke, Jan
- Health Sciences - Reader (Teaching and Research)
Person: Academic

Cite this

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title = "Calibrating well-being, quality of life and common mental disorder items: psychometric epidemiology in public mental health research",

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AU - Croudace, Tim J.

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KW - Epidemiology

KW - General health

KW - Psychological distress

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KW - Psychometrics

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JF - British Journal of Psychiatry

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Calibrating well-being, quality of life and common mental disorder items: psychometric epidemiology in public mental health research

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Conceptual and analytical advances for core outcomes in psychotherapy research

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Boehnke, Jan

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