The use of the general health questionnaire in the Australian defence force: A flawed but irreplaceable measure?

Abstract

This article discusses the use of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), but comment pertaining to stress measurement and considerations for management are equally applicable to the paramilitary and other high-risk professions. It is concluded that (a) prior to the widespread administration of a questionnaire designed to determine stress levels amongst ADF personnel, the defence research community should attempt to define stress in a conceptual, strategic, and operational fashion; (b) only after an optimal conceptual definition of stress has been operationalised can the defence research community attempt to accurately determine whether (and how) current stress levels are affecting the performance of personnel and begin to impart effective stress-management techniques to those in need; and (c) no one measure can replace the GHQ, which in itself has been inappropriately applied to the ADF population in an attempt to measure the extent to which personnel experience the debilitating effects of physiological and psychological distress.