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Table 1 Description of all questions included in the mental health measures

From: Addressing challenges of validity and internal consistency of mental health measures in a 27- year longitudinal cohort study – the Northern Swedish Cohort study

Questionnaire items

Response options (coding; distribution at T1, i.e., age 16)

Inclusion in

AS = Anxiety Symptoms

DS = Depressive Symptoms

FSS = Functional Somatic Symptoms

Have you have experienced any nervous problems in the past 12 months?

  

 Restlessness

Ticked box (1*; 15.9 %) Unticked box (0*; 84.1 %)

AS

 Concentration difficulties

Ticked box (1*; 15.9 %) Unticked box (0*; 84.1 %)

AS, DS

 Worried or anxious

Ticked box (1*; 12.1 %) Unticked box (0*; 87.9 %)

AS

 Palpitations or stomach problems

Ticked box (1*; 6.6 %) Unticked box (0*; 93.4 %)

AS, FSS

 Anxiety or panic

Ticked box (1*; 4.0 %) Unticked box (0*; 96.0 %)

AS

How often have you experienced any nervous problems during the past 12 months?

Never (*1; 72.7 %), Off and on (*1; 25.9 %), Quite often (*2; 1.4 %), All the time (*2; 0 %)

 

Does it happen that you feel dejected when you think about the future?

Almost never (0; 31.5 %), No, more seldom (1; 45.7 %), Yes, quite often (1; 20.3 %), Yes, very often (2; 2.5 %)

DS

How often have you felt sad or depressed during the last 12 months?

Never (0; 27.4 %), Off and on (1; 66.0 %), Quite often (1; 6.2 %), All the time (2; 0.4 %)

DS

Have you experienced sleeping problems during the last 12 months?

Never (0; 63.1 %), Off and on (1; 33.4 %), Quite often (1; 2.7 %), All the time (2; 0.9 %)

DS, FSS

Have you now (or have you during the past 12 months had) any of the following diseases or symptoms?

  

 Poor appetite

No (0; 75.8 %), Yes, moderate (1; 22.2 %), Yes, severe (2; 2.0 %)

DS

 Headache, migraine

No (0; 47.0 %), Yes, moderate (1; 48.1 %), Yes, severe (2; 5.0 %)

FSS

 Other stomach ache (than heartburn, gastritis or gastric ulcer)

No (0; 66.3 %), Yes, moderate (1; 32.3 %), Yes, severe (2; 1.4 %)

FSS

 Nausea

No (0; 53.8 %), Yes, moderate (1; 44.6 %), Yes, severe (2; 1.6 %)

FSS

 Backache, hip ache or sciatica

No (0; 74.0 %), Yes, moderate (1; 23.5 %), Yes, severe (2; 2.5 %)

FSS

 Tiredness/fatigue

No (0; 43.8 %), Yes, moderate (1; 50.2 %), Yes, severe (2; 6.0 %)

DS, FSS

 Breathlessness

No (0; 81.9 %), Yes, moderate (1; 16.6 %), Yes, severe (2; 1.5 %)

FSS

 Dizziness

No (0; 80.7 %), Yes, moderate (1; 18.2 %), Yes, severe (2; 1.1 %)

FSS

 Overstrain

No (0; 84.8 %), Yes, moderate (1; 14.3 %), Yes, severe (2; 0.9 %)

FSS

  1. *Denotes multiplication between the response to an item about presence of a symptom and a later about the frequency of the set of symptoms