Psychometric Properties of the Parent and Teacher Versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for 4- to 12-Year-Olds: A Review

• Published in: Clinical child and family psychology review Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 254 - 274
• Main Authors: Stone, Lisanne L, Otten, Roy, Engels, Rutger C. M. E, Vermulst, Ad A, Janssens, Jan M. A. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Boston : Springer US 01-09-2010; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavior Disorders; Behavior Problems; Behavior Rating Scales; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child Behavior; Child psychology; Child, Preschool; Children; Correlation; Emotional Disturbances; Factor Structure; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Interpersonal Competence; Interrater Reliability; Male; Mass Screening; Measures (Individuals); Mental Disorders; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Health; Observer Variation; Outcome Measures; Parent; Parents; Parents & parenting; Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Predictive Validity; Prosocial Behavior; Psychiatry; Psychological Evaluation; Psychology; Psychometrics; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Psychopathology; Quantitative psychology; Questionnaires; reliability; Research Tools; Screening Tests; Social Sciences; Statistical Analysis; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teacher; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Validity; Young Children; Teacher; Validity; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Reliability; Parent
• ISSN: 1096-4037; 1573-2827; 1573-2827
• DOI: 10.1007/s10567-010-0071-2

Since its development, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been widely used in both research and practice. The SDQ screens for positive and negative psychological attributes. This review aims to provide an overview of the psychometric properties of the SDQ for 4- to 12-year-olds. Results from 48 studies (N = 131,223) on reliability and validity of the parent and teacher SDQ are summarized quantitatively and descriptively. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and inter-rater agreement are satisfactory for the parent and teacher versions. At subscale level, the reliability of the teacher version seemed stronger compared to that of the parent version. Concerning validity, 15 out of 18 studies confirmed the five-factor structure. Correlations with other measures of psychopathology as well as the screening ability of the SDQ are sufficient. This review shows that the psychometric properties of the SDQ are strong, particularly for the teacher version. For practice, this implies that the use of the SDQ as a screening instrument should be continued. Longitudinal research studies should investigate predictive validity. For both practice and research, we emphasize the use of a multi-informant approach.