Using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess the psychological health of Malaysian college students
The primary objective of this study was to assess the psychological health of students at a local university in Malaysia using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Additionally, the study was carried out to determine the reliability and factor structure of the GHQ-12. Sample comprised 386 students...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Center of Science and Education
2010
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/24670/1/24670.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/24670/ http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/gjhs/article/view/3852 |
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| Summary: | The primary objective of this study was to assess the psychological health of students at a local university in Malaysia using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Additionally, the study was carried out to determine the reliability and factor structure of the GHQ-12. Sample comprised 386 students (female=177, male=209) who were selected using multistage cluster sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data required. Results showed that slightly more than half (52.9%) of the respondents scored low on the GHQ-12, and a substantial proportion (47.1%) of them scored high, indicating an unhealthy psychological state. Nevertheless, no differences were observed between the genders. Reliability analysis showed satisfactory results, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70. Meanwhile, factor analysis revealed that GHQ-12 was a measure of psychological distress, with a three-factor structure (Psychological Distress, Social and Emotional Dysfunction and Cognitive Disorder), which jointly accounted for 51.9% of the variance. The findings of the study therefore affirm that the GHQ-12 is a good measure for assessing the overall psychological well-being of students in Malaysia. |
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