Abstract
The Kessler 10 Psychological Distress Scale (K10) is a brief dimensional scale designed to measure and monitor trends of psychological
distress. Recently the scale has been utilised by general practitioners and clinicians to screen for common mental disorders
and measure treatment outcomes. Despite the K10 demonstrating a sound one dimensional structure in the general population,
the scale’s structure has yet to be comprehensively tested in clinical samples. The current study aimed to use confirmatory
factor analysis to test three theoretical structure models of the K10 and one model for the K6 (a six item variant) in a sample
from a tertiary referral clinic for mood and anxiety disorders and compare those results with a population sample from the
Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. The results demonstrated that a two factor model with correlated
latent factors representing depression and anxiety fit the clinical sample the best whilst a one factor model with correlated
errors between several items fit the population sample the best. The results are discussed further in relation to scoring
and interpreting the Kessler scales.
distress. Recently the scale has been utilised by general practitioners and clinicians to screen for common mental disorders
and measure treatment outcomes. Despite the K10 demonstrating a sound one dimensional structure in the general population,
the scale’s structure has yet to be comprehensively tested in clinical samples. The current study aimed to use confirmatory
factor analysis to test three theoretical structure models of the K10 and one model for the K6 (a six item variant) in a sample
from a tertiary referral clinic for mood and anxiety disorders and compare those results with a population sample from the
Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. The results demonstrated that a two factor model with correlated
latent factors representing depression and anxiety fit the clinical sample the best whilst a one factor model with correlated
errors between several items fit the population sample the best. The results are discussed further in relation to scoring
and interpreting the Kessler scales.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-7
- DOI 10.1007/s10862-012-9276-7
- Authors
- Matthew Sunderland, Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), Level 4, O’Brien Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital, 394-404 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- Alison Mahoney, Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), Level 4, O’Brien Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital, 394-404 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- Gavin Andrews, Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), Level 4, O’Brien Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital, 394-404 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- Journal Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment
- Online ISSN 1573-3505
- Print ISSN 0882-2689