Mental Health and Reporting Bias: Analysis of the GHQ-12

Measures of mental wellbeing are heavily relied upon to identify at-risk individuals. However, self-reported mental health metrics might be unduly affected by mis-reporting (perhaps stemming from stigma effects). In this paper we consider this phenomenon by focusing upon the mis-reporting of mental health using UK panel data from 1991-2016. In separate analyses of males and females we focus on the GHQ-12 measure, and specifically its sub-components, and how inaccurate reporting can adversely affect the distribution of the index. The analysis suggests that individuals typically over report psychological wellbeing (especially males). The results are then used to adjust the GHQ-12 score to take mis-reporting into account. We then compare the effects of the adjusted/unadjusted GHQ-12 index when modelling a number of economic transitions. Using the original index typically leads to an underestimate of the effect of psychological distress on transitions into improved economic states, e.g. unemployment to employment.