Description

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a psychometric tool designed to assess behavioral and emotional difficulties, as well as psychological strengths, in children and adolescents. Developed by Robert Goodman, the SDQ is widely used in clinical, educational, and research settings.

Purpose

The purpose of the SDQ is to provide a brief, reliable, and valid measurement of children’s and adolescents’ behavioral and emotional characteristics. It can be used to identify potential problems, assess the need for intervention, and monitor progress following intervention.

Analysis

The SDQ consists of 25 statements rated on a 3-point Likert scale (0 = Not True, 1 = Somewhat True, 2 = Certainly True). These statements are divided into five subscales, each containing five items:
Emotional Symptoms: Assesses levels of anxiety and depression.
Conduct Problems: Assesses the frequency of antisocial behavior.
Hyperactivity/Inattention: Assesses hyperactivity and attention-related issues.
Peer Relationship Problems: Assesses difficulties in relationships with peers.
Prosocial Behavior: Assesses the ability for positive social behavior.

Scoring

Scoring the SDQ involves calculating total scores for each subscale, as well as a Total Difficulties Score. The Total Difficulties Score is the sum of the scores from the first four subscales (Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, and Peer Relationship Problems). The Prosocial Behavior subscale is scored separately. Scores are categorized as follows:
Normal: Scores within the typical range.
Borderline: Scores indicating potential difficulties.
Clinical: Scores indicating significant difficulties requiring intervention.

References

Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581–586.
Goodman, R., & Scott, S. (1999). Comparing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist: Is small beautiful? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27(1), 17–24.
Goodman, A., Lamping, D. L., & Ploubidis, G. B. (2010). When to use broader internalizing and externalizing subscales instead of the hypothesized five subscales on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): Data from British parents, teachers, and children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(8), 1179–1191.
Stone, L. L., Otten, R., Engels, R. C., Vermulst, A. A., & Janssens, J. M. (2010). Psychometric properties of the parent and teacher versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for 4- to 12-year-olds: A review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 13(3), 254–274.