The British Journal of Psychiatry 132: 172-176 (1978)
© 1978 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Emotional disturbance in newly registered general practice patients
CM Corser and AE Philip
The General Health Questionnaire has had some popularity as an index of
minor psychiatric morbidity and was used in the present study to ascertain
the emotional state of newcomers to a practice in a new town. High scorers
on the GHQ had more episodes of illness, had more severe ratings of
psychological problems, and were more likely to receive a formal
psychiatric diagnosis than were low scorers. A second survey one year later
confirmed the variability of response to the GHQ inherent in a 'present
state' inventory. Doubts are expressed as to the psychiatric nature of the
emotional upset measured by the GHQ.