Validation of the EQ-HWB-9 in a mental health sample and an investigation of modifications to items

Abstract

Background: The EQ Health and Wellbeing (EQ-HWB) is a new, generic instrument designed to evaluate quality-of-life across health, public health, and social care settings. The short form comprises nine items (EQ-HWB-9) and validation across diverse populations and contexts is required. We aimed to investigate the validity of the EQ-HWB-9 in an international sample of adults experiencing poor mental health who downloaded a meditation app. We further examined the impact of four item-level modifications on psychometric performance, including investigating a potential ordering effect for the ‘activities’ item (hypothesised in prior studies) and three minor changes to response options. Methods: Th..