Psychometric properties of the General Well-Being Index

There is a growing interest in the measurement of quality of life as an important marker of health outcomes. The General Well-Being Index (GWBI) is a quality of life measure that has been specifically designed to assess psychological distress rather than physical incapacitation. Previous studies using the GWBI have mainly focussed on clinical samples (e.g., depressed patients). The aim of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the GWBI in a non-clinical population. Using data gathered from 447 first year University students, the GWBI was found to have excellent psychometric properties. Both internal consistency and test-retest reliability were high, and the concurrent and construct validity of the measure were sound. Factor analysis revealed three significant factors, which were labelled 'general mood/affect', 'life satisfaction/vitality', and 'poor physical health/somatic complaints'. Limitations to the present study are further discussed.