Modeling the PHQ-15: The factor structure of somatic symptoms in a large community sample 2026 Cunningham et al

[Andy]

Abstract​

The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) is widely used to assess somatic symptom burden, but its latent structure remains uncertain. This study tested competing PHQ-15 factor models and their associations with demographic and psychological variables in a large, nationally representative UK sample (N = 1405). Confirmatory factor analyzes using WLSMV evaluated alternative structures reported in the literature. Several multifactor models showed acceptable fit, but a four-factor model comprising pain, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and fatigue domains provided the best overall fit and outperformed a one-factor solution. Inter-factor correlations were high, indicating substantial overlap between domains and supporting the utility of the total PHQ-15 score. Males reported slightly lower symptom burdens, and younger adults reported more somatic complaints. Findings support multidimensionality alongside a strong general somatic distress tendency, though the PHQ-15 does not fully align with ICD-11 bodily distress disorder criteria.

Open access

 

[Trish]

I have come to the conclusion that all this designing and redesigning of an ever expanding supply of questionnaires is seriously counterproductive to health.

There are, I conclude, far too many psychologists doing PhD's that require them to analyse questionnaire data and. along with this. far to many health psychology and related academics with nothing better to do than create and modify questionnaires.

Sack the lot of them and nobody would notice. Send the budding health psychologists and their ilk who want to work with people with physical symptoms out to spend the 3 years they would have spent on a PhD to work as carers for people with physical illnesses and disabilities. Get them to see what life is really like for us.