Psychiatrists determined that 102 respondents had American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, third edition, (DSM-III) disorders suitable for detection by the GHQ. In addition, a subsample of these respondents (n = 810) was examined by research psychiatrists who provided a reference mental disorder diagnosis for comparison with GHQ results. The authors administered a 20-item interview version of the GHQ and a battery of survey items on use of ambulatory health care services to 3,389 respondents in eastern Baltimore as part of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is a widely used method of assessing psychiatric distress in clinical settings and in the community.
