Journal article

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

Cate Bailey, Karen Trapani, Jonathan N Davies, Nicholas T Van Dam, Julieta Galante, Tessa Peasgood

Health Qual Life Outcomes | Springer Science and Business Media LLC | Published : 2026

Open access

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..

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