Development and preliminary validation of mental health check-up questionnaire in Korea

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate the Mental Health Check-up Questionnaire (MHCQ), a short assessment tool for identifying early signs of mental health issues and evaluating decreases in positive aspects of mental health. METHODS: The MHCQ was developed based on a review of mental health prevalence data and a survey of screening needs in Korea, covering seven problem domains and one positive domain. The positive domain was designed based on the view that mental health includes more than just the absence of symptoms and encompasses resources for dealing with stress and sustaining productivity and well-being. After expert review, the 66-item questionnaire was administered to 500 participants aged 20 to 70. RESULTS: Factor analyses identified 51 items consistent with the theoretical framework, demonstrating high reliability with an internal consistency ranging from 0.83 to 0.95. Correlations with established mental health measures supported the MHCQ's convergent and discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The MHCQ demonstrates preliminary evidence as a concise and reliable mental health screening tool. Future work should establish test-retest and clinical validity using larger, integrated health-lifestyle datasets and develop pathways for integrating the MHCQ into healthcare systems.