Validation of the Italian version of the GHQ in a general practice setting

The 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) were administered to 120 consecutive attenders at a general practice in Northern Italy run by a doctor who had a formal psychiatric training. The Italian versions of both the GHQ and the CIS were found to be feasible instruments for general practice studies in Italy. GHQ misclassification rates, sensitivity and specificity values are presented for different cut-off scores, a total score of 5 or more being the best discriminator between 'cases' and 'non-cases'. The prevalence of confirmed cases in this sample was 47.5%, a rate higher than those reported so far in developed and developing countries.