Measuring health status in psychiatric community surveys:: internal and external validity of the Spanish version of the SF-36

The aims of the present study were to determine the acceptability of the Spanish version of the Short Form (SF-36) health survey questionnaire for its use in mental health research on the general population, and to evaluate its internal and external validity, using data obtained from a representative community sample of 1250 adults of working age. The internal consistency of the different dimensions of the questionnaire was high. Concurrent validity was tested by examining its correlation with the 12-item General Wealth Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Construct validity was determined by studying the extent to which scores on different variables reflected the expected distribution of health status for and between certain groups. Our findings provide strong evidence for the acceptability and validity of the SF-36 when used as part of a community mental health survey.