ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Psychometric evaluation of the factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire-12 in a sample of Chinese university students.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Aims: The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is widely used for assessing psychological distress, yet debates persist regarding its optimal factor structure, especially across different cultural contexts and demographic groups. While the bi-factor model has gained empirical support in Western populations, limited research has examined its validity in Chinese university students. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the GHQ-12 in Chinese university students by examining its factor structure through Classical Test Theory. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of Chinese university students ( Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure with strong fit. CFA results demonstrated that the bi-factor model showed the best overall numerical fit, whereas the two-factor model was retained as the preferred solution because it demonstrated strong and balanced factor loadings, conceptual interpretability, and greater parsimony ( Conclusion: The GHQ-12 demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties in Chinese university students. The two-factor model was retained as the preferred solution based on interpretability and parsimony, although the bi-factor model showed superior global fit indices. These findings support the use of the GHQ-12 for mental health screening and future psychometric research in Chinese youth populations.
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