A network analysis of the General Health Questionnaire

The General Health Questionnaire-28 is a well-known symptom-based rating scale of mental health. Several studies have investigated its latent structure using confirmatory factor analysis. This study questions this approach on several substantive points, most notably the inability for symptoms to interact using confirmatory factor analysis, and argues for the use of network analysis instead. Network results demonstrate the method's utility to improve our understanding of the rating scales' symptom structure. Insights include a much richer understanding of comorbidity on the General Health Questionnaire-28 and the identification of particularly salient symptoms affecting the network. It yields substantive information of interest to researchers and practitioners alike.

Automated summary

This study challenges the use of confirmatory factor analysis in analyzing the latent structure of health questionnaires, advocating for network analysis instead. The results of the network analysis provide a deeper understanding of the symptom structure of the questionnaire and offer insights into comorbidity and key symptoms. The study yields valuable substantive information for both researchers and practitioners.