The SDQ is probably the most used measure in work with children and adolescents. There is extensive information about it at https://www.sdqinfo.org/a0.html.
Details #
The basic design is 25 items addressing:
1) emotional problems
2) conduct problems
3) hyperactivity/inattention
4) peer relationship problems
and a separate set of questions about:
5) prosocial behaviour
Each of the five areas has five items and the total across the first four makes up a total difficulties score.
The SDQ asks about the time frame of the last six months so it is only suitable as a change measure when repeated across intervals longer than that. All the items have a three level response: “Not true”, “Somewhat true” and “Certainly true”. Twenty of the items are problem cued but five, e.g. item 7 “I usually do as I am told” are reverse cued “. The problem cued items are scored “Not true” = 0, “Somewhat true” = 1 and “Certainly true” = 2 with the positively cued items scored “Not true” = 2, “Somewhat true” = 1 and “Certainly true” = 0 hence each of the five scales have a score range from zero to ten. Pro-rating is allowed if one or two items are omitted and is simple rescaling. The instructions seem to say the pro-rating should be rounded to the nearest integer. There is a total score, to quote the instructions: “This is generated by summing scores from all the scales except the prosocial scale. The resultant score ranges from 0 to 40, and is counted as missing of one of the 4 component scores is missing.” i.e. no pro-rating beyond any that went into scoring the four problem subscales.
There are also “internalising” and “externalising” scores. Again quoting the authors’ instructions: “The internalising score ranges from 0 to 20 and is the sum of the emotional and peer difficulties scales. The externalising score ranges from 0 to 20
and is the sum of the conduct and hyperactivity scales. Using these two amalgamated scales may be preferable to using the four separate scales in community samples, whereas using the four separate scales may add more value in high-risk samples (see Goodman & Goodman. 2009 Strengths and difficulties questionnaire as a dimensional measure of child mental health. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 48(4), 400-403).” I think it is implicit that these are only scored if both their constituent subscale scores were usable.
The SDQ is interesting in having parent/guardian and teacher report forms for 4 to 16 year olds and a separate version for parents/guardians and nursery school staff for 3 and 4 year olds. In addition there is a self-completion version for 11-16 year olds. There are also “impact supplement” forms for informants exploring whether and how the informant perceives the young person as having problems and a separate “follow up” form to be completed at the end of any intervention asking about change.
Chapters #
Chapters 2 and 4.
Online resources #
None likely from me.
Dates #
Created 11.viii.21, tweaks to clarify the time frame and scoring 28.vi.26.
