Alternative Models Examination and Gender Measurement Invariance of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among Nigerian Adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the factor structures of the a priori alternative models of the 12-items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), its psychometric characteristics and gender measurement invariance in a sample of non-clinical Nigerian adolescents (n=1326; M(age)=15.16).METHODS: The sample consisted of 606 (45.7%) males, who completed the GHQ-12 in addition to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). We compared 21 models to identify which has the best fit indices applying confirmatory factor analysis. Gender measurement invariance was examined with nested multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA).RESULTS: The model that best captures psychological distress was a three-factor model that was initially described among the Australian general population (CFI=0.952, SRMR=0.0310, RMSEA=0.042) (90%CI=0.035–0.049). The internal consistencies (ω) of this model and its dimensions were modestly satisfactory. The criterion validity of this model was supported via significant correlations with the other study measures. MGCFA supported the configural, metric and scalar gender invariances of this model.CONCLUSION: A three-factor GHQ-12 model (anhedonia/sleep disturbances; social performance and Loss of confidence) is useful as a psychological distress assessment tool among Nigerian adolescents.

Quality of Life Assessment in Korean Patients with Pemphigus

BACKGROUND: Measuring the quality of life (QOL) is important in the evaluation of nonclinical aspects of diseases, for the discovery of functional and psychological limitations, and in choosing treatment in the initial phase of the disease. Pemphigus is a potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disease caused by autoantibodies against desmogleins (cadherin family proteins in desmosomes). Thus far, there has been no published study on QOL in Korean patients with pemphigus. OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of pemphigus on the QOL in a large number of Korean patients. METHODS: Sixty-six patients enrolled at the Gangnam Severance Hospital from March 2012 to March 2013 were assessed for QOL by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and for anxiety and depression by using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Spearman's rank-order correlation, t-test, and ANOVA were used to identify the relations between the DLQI score and other clinical variables. RESULTS: Pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus significantly reduced the QOL of patients. The average DLQI score for all patients was 10.18. The mean DLQI score was 13.45 in patients in the active state and 5.15 in the patients in the remission state. The DLQI score highly correlated with disease severity, titer of anti-desmoglein 1 in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the corticosteroid dose. However, the QOL was not affected by sex, age, subtype of pemphigus, duration of disease, or comorbidities. Forty-two percent of the patients showed a positive result in the GHQ, reflecting probable minor psychiatric nonpsychotic conditions, and the GHQ score positively correlated to the DLQI score. CONCLUSION: Pemphigus significantly impairs the QOL of patients. The QOL of Korean pemphigus patients significantly correlates with clinical severity. Therefore, considerable attention should be paid to the patients' QOL and psychological states as well as clinical status.

Health Related Quality of Life in Common Variable Immunodeficiency

PURPOSE: To quantify the health related quality of life in primary immunodeficiency patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used generic health status and general psychological health questionnaires to determine the range of issues that needed to be considered in examining the burden of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). RESULTS: The health status of patients with CVID was lower than that observed in normal subjects. Overall, Role-Physical and General Health scales correlated with a poorer clinical status. Surprisingly, the duration of disease did not influence health status. Being female, older, General Health Questionnaire-positive and alexithymic proved to be major risk factors associated with a poor health status. Patients with chronic lung disease and chronic diarrhea had the lowest values on the Medical Outcome Study, Short Form SF-36 (SF-36) scales. Disease severity perception was associated with the General Health Questionnaire and alexithymia status. Limitations in daily activities as a result of lower physical health were the major problems facing common variable immunodeficiency patients. CONCLUSION: Our data underlined the importance of conducting a periodical health related quality of life assessment on patients with primary antibody deficiencies and, moreover, stressed the necessity of providing psychological support to at risk patients.

Feeling Refreshed by Sleep Can Predict Psychological Wellbeing Assessed Using the General Health Questionnaire in Male Workers: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

Prediction of psychological wellbeing based on several important predictors was conducted for ensuring maintenance of good mental health. A 3-year follow-up study to determine psychological well-being was conducted in 969 Japanese male workers. Age, body mass index, present history of medication and four lifestyle factors were used for the analysis. A logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obtaining a score of > or =4 in the General Health Questionnaire-12-item version, among the subjects who felt refreshed by sleep was 0.559 (0.415-0.753). None of the other factors showed any statistically significant association. Feeling refreshed by sleep was identified as a predictor of maintained psychological wellbeing in this 3-year follow-up study.

Quality of Life of Psoriasis Patients before and after Balneo - or Balneophototherapy

PURPOSE: An observational prospective study was conducted to study the effects of hypotonic spa-water baths and narrowband ultraviolet B therapy given alone or in combination for treatment of moderate-severe psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two treatments were analysed: 2 weeks of balneotherapy followed by ultraviolet-B (UVB) 311-nm phototherapy (BPT) or 2 weeks of daily bath treatments of Comano water alone (BT). One hundred and eleven adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis were enrolled. Quality of life (QoL) questionnaires {36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study questionnaire (SF-36) and Skindex-29} were administered at baseline and 2 months from the end of therapy. The self-administered Psoriasis Area Severity Index (SAPASI), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 (to assess clinical severity and psychological distress, respectively) were also recorded at the same time-periods. RESULTS: SAPASI was significantly reduced from 15.2 to 8.7 in BPT group and 11.6 to 7.8 in BT. A decrease of greater than 50% after therapy in SAPASI_50 score was reached by 42% and 37% of patients in the BPT and BT groups, respectively. At follow-up, both groups had better scores on all SF-36 scales (with statistically significant improvement in social functioning and mental health in the BPT group) and in all Skindex-29 scales. A statistically significant reduction of GHQ-12 positive cases was observed in the BPT group. CONCLUSION: Comano spa-water alone or in combination with phototherapy had beneficial therapeutic effects on patients with psoriasis. Although our observational study design prevents us from making meaningful comparisons between the 2 interventions, the combination of balneo and phototherapy seems to improve QoL and lessen clinical severity, and reduced the proportion of GHQ-12 positive cases.

Psychological factors including sense of coherence and some lifestyles are related to general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) in elderly workers in Japan

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>The number of elderly workers has also been increasing and poor psychological well-being in elderly workers has been reported. The aim of this study is to elucidate the factors that are related to poor psychological well-being in elderly workers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We administered General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) as an indicator of psychological well-being to 330 male elderly workers in the age range of 50-69, and analyzed different psychological factors, namely sense of coherence (SOC), and physical and lifestyle variables such as blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, smoking frequency, alcohol intake, exercise frequency, and body mass index (BMI) that are related to GHQ-12.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When the cut-off point of GHQ-12 was 2/3, 97 workers who showed high GHQ-12 score were classified as one group having poor psychological well-being. A statistically significantly lower SOC score, higher stress score, lower frequency of exercise, higher smoking score and higher BMI, but not longer working hours or higher shift work score in the workers with higher GHQ-12 scores were observed than in the workers with normal GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the low SCO score, low frequency of exercise, high smoking frequency and high BMI significantly contributed to the high GHQ-12 score.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A low SOC score in elderly workers is assumed to be directly related to poor psychological well-being, or via the development of lifestyle problems such as lack of exercise, obesity, and smoking in elderly workers. This assumption must be confirmed by conducting future intervention studies on lifestyle.</p>

Psychological Factors Including Sense of Coherence and Some Lifestyles are Related to General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) in Elderly Workers in Japan

Objectives: The number of elderly workers has also been increasing and poor psychological well-being in elderly workers has been reported. The aim of this study is to elucidate the factors that are related to poor psychological well-being in elderly workers. Methods: We administered General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) as an indicator of psychological well-being to 330 male elderly workers in the age range of 50-69, and analyzed different psychological factors, namely sense of coherence (SOC), and physical and lifestyle variables such as blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, smoking frequency, alcohol intake, exercise frequency, and body mass index (BMI) that are related to GHQ-12. Results: When the cut-off point of GHQ-12 was 2/3, 97 workers who showed high GHQ-12 score were classified as one group having poor psychological well-being. A statistically significantly lower SOC score, higher stress score, lower frequency of exercise, higher smoking score and higher BMI, but not longer working hours or higher shift work score in the workers with higher GHQ-12 scores were observed than in the workers with normal GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the low SOC score, low frequency of exercise, high smoking frequency and high BMI significantly contributed to the high GHQ-12 score. Conclusions: A low SOC score in elderly workers is assumed to be directly related to poor psychological well-being, or via the development of lifestyle problems such as lack of exercise, obesity, and smoking in elderly workers. This assumption must be confirmed by conducting future intervention studies on lifestyle.