Psychometric properties of the symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) for Chinese undergraduate students

Background: Despite the widespread application of the Chinese version of Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90) amongst undergraduate students, researchers have not thoroughly evaluated its psychometric features with representative samples of Chinese undergraduate students. Aim: To evaluate its psychometric properties based on a large, representative sample of Chinese undergraduate students. Methods: A total of 4456 Chinese undergraduate students (age range = 17-25 years) completed the SCL-90. Correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to evaluate its reliability and validity. Results: The evidence for item-total correlations, internal consistency reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients and composite reliability, and the hypothesized factor structure was satisfactory. The evidence for convergent validity was acceptable; however, the evidence for discriminant validity was not satisfactory. Conclusion: Based on a large, representative sample of Chinese undergraduate students, the Chinese version of the SCL-90 revealed both strengths and limitations, suggesting the need for further research.