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#AccessibleAcademia
Nothing about us without us
Who: Mayhew and colleagues
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Published: 2021
Title: An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the GHQ‑12 in an English Population of Autistic Adults Without Learning Difficulties

Autistic Adults & Measures of Health

Autistic people are more likely than non-autistic people to be diagnosed with chronic mental health difficulties, especially anxiety and depression. In order to understand the mental health of autistic people, it’s really important that the tools used to assess them are reliable and valid. 

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This study wanted to assess whether the 12 question General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is reliable and valid for use with autistic populations.

The GHQ-12 is one of the most used measures of mental health across the world, but whether it produces accurate results for autistic people has not been assessed.

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They consulted an advisory board of 12 autistic adults, as well as completing a number of statistical analyses to assess the reliability and validity of this measure.

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The advisory board of autistic adults did not have any concerns about the questionnaire, and they found it the most acceptable of a variety of questionnaires they were shown.

The statistical analyses also showed that this measure was reliable and valid for use with autistic people without learning difficulties.