The validity and reliability of the Patient Health Questionnaire - Adolescent version (PHQ – A) in Vietnam

BACKGROUND: The two cross-sectional studies were conducted to examine the validity and reliability of the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A) in a sample of Vietnamese adolescents. METHOD: Participants were recruited from secondary schools (grades 6 to 9) and high schools (grades 10 to 12) in Ho Chi Minh City, comprising 68 students in Study 1 and 624 students in Study 2. The scale was translated into Vietnamese following standard forward–backward translation procedures. PHQ-A scores were compared with clinical diagnoses based on DSM-5 criteria, and the psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated through test–retest reliability, internal consistency analyses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and assessments of convergent validity. RESULTS: The findings indicated that PHQ-A have a sensitivity of 91.89% and a specificity of 70.97% for a cut-off point of 10. The scale also had a high internal consistency with Cronbach’s α exceeding 0.80 and McDonald’s omega total of 0.80. The confirmatory factor analysis validated the original structures of the PHQ-A, demonstrating acceptable fit indices. Furthermore, the scale revealed significant correlations with the ESSA, thereby affirming its convergent validity. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the PHQ-A is appropriate for extensive initial assessment and screening in educational institutions, healthcare centres, and other time-limited contexts.