ArticleBMC psychiatry2020
Are comparisons of mental disorders between Chinese and German students possible? An examination of measurement invariance for the PHQ-15, PHQ-9 and GAD-7.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Cross-cultural validity of the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7): a systematic review and standardized assessment.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Understanding General Somatic Symptom Burden: Insights from a Systematic Review of Factor Analyses Pertaining to the Patient Health Questionnaire 15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Scale 8 (SSS-8).International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Measurement Properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 and Somatic Symptom Scale-8: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA network open · 2024Pooled it
- Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills Improve Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Prognoses of CHD Patients after PCI with Anxiety or Depression (GLAD Study): A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2023Trial
- Identification of risk factors for attempted suicide by self-poisoning and a nomogram to predict self-poisoning suicide.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Validation of the patient health questionnaire-9 and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 in Lithuanian student sample.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Network Architecture of Anxiety-Related Distress in 346,677 Chinese Youth: Divergence by Educational Track and Developmental Stage.Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · 2026Article
- Cross-cultural comparison of somatic-depressive symptom networks in Chinese and Rwandan adolescents: network analysis study.BJPsych open · 2026Article
- Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Function in Patients with Hypertension in Rural Areas of Shanxi Province, China: The Chain Mediating Role of Anxiety and Depression.Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Article
- Factors associated with depressive disorders in college students using quantile regression analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Hedonic capacity in a Chinese community population sample: psychometric properties of the dimensional anhedonia rating scale (DARS) and exploration of gender differences.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Association Between Fine Particle Waves and Sexual Function: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey in China.Toxics · 2025Article
- Factorial invariance of the Spanish version of the PHQ-9 by gender and country in Latin America and the Caribbean.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Insomnia of students following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China: Prevalence, influencing factors, and associations with depression, anxiety, and PTSD.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- A comparative study of anxiety symptoms in Chinese and Rwandan adolescents: a cross-cultural measurement invariance study of the GAD-7 scale.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
- The association between online learning, perceived parental relationship, anxiety, and depression symptoms among secondary school students: insight from symptom network and cross-lagged panel network approach.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Psychometric Properties of the Metacognitions About Online Gaming Scale in the Chinese Population and Its Relationship With Internet Gaming Disorder: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR serious games · 2024Article
- Psychometric properties of the GAD-7 (General Anxiety Disorder-7): a cross-sectional study of the Peruvian general population.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Efficacy of Magnesium Sulfate and Labetalol in the Treatment of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension and Its Effect on Anxiety and Depression: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Alpha psychiatry · 2024Article
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Abstract
backgroundThe Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) is one of the most commonly used instruments to assess mental disorders. However, research on its cross-cultural measurement invariance is not yet sufficient. This study examined the measurement invariance of the Chinese and German versions of the PHQ's somatic symptom severity scale (PHQ-15), depressive symptom severity scale (PHQ-9) and seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale as a prerequisite for their use in cross-cultural comparisons.
methodsWe used online data collected from groups of Chinese students in China (n = 413) and German students in Germany (n = 416). Separate measurement models for each group were examined using confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance testing was conducted to test the cross-cultural equivalence.
resultsFindings demonstrated that the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 had partial scalar measurement invariance, but the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PHQ-15 could not be confirmed. Comparisons of latent means did not indicate differences in the levels of depression and anxiety symptoms between Chinese and German samples.
conclusionThe PHQ-9 and GAD-7 can be used in cross-cultural comparison of prevalence, but the intercultural use of PHQ-15 is more problematic. Findings are discussed from intercultural and methodological perspectives.
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