The GQS – a measure for the health related self-concept

Assessing the health related self-concept is of high clinical and therapeutical relevance. The self-concept is the target of many therapeutic efforts because it reflects the degree of mental health and mental disorders express themselves in abnormalies of self-concept structure and function. Still, the health related self-concept is not assessable by existing instruments. The Gesundheits-Q-Sort (GQS) serves as a means for assessing individual qualities of mental health and their changes under conditions of systematic intervention. We will present results from a validation study with psychiatric patients and healthy controls proving the psychometric quality of the GQS. Evaluations of the self-concept can only take place in the frame of reference of the concrete individual. Hence, an ipsative approach is to be chosen. The GQS is constructed as a Q-sort which is an appropriate and proven method for this field of research. Besides the actual self-concept an ideal self-concept is acquired. From these two aspects a measure for self-discrepancy can be conducted which is of great importance for the evaluation of state and changes of mental health. Higher discrepancies between actual and ideal self are associated with negative emotionality and less satisfaction with life. Success of psychosocial intervention should manifest itself in a reduction in these differences. Therefore, quality assurance and evaluation of therapeutic effects are important fields of application for the GQS.