The self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: its psychometric properties in 8- to 13-year-old non-clinical children.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the reliability and validity of the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in relatively young children.


METHODS
The SDQ was administered to a large sample of non-clinical children (n = 1111) aged 8-13 years. In a subsample (n = 439), self-report SDQ scores of children with and without behaviour problems were compared, and related to the teacher version of the SDQ, the Youth Self-Report and the Teacher Report Form.


RESULTS
Although the reliability of the self-report SDQ was somewhat less satisfactory in the younger children of our sample, most other psychometric properties were acceptable and comparable to those obtained in older youths.


CONCLUSIONS
While the self-report SDQ was designed for youths aged 11 years and above, the current data seem to suggest that the scale may provide useful information about psychopathological symptoms in children as young as 8 years old.
Muris
Peter
P
Department of Medical, Clinical & Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. p.muris@dep.unimaas.nl
Meesters
Cor
C
Eijkelenboom
Anneke
A
Vincken
Manon
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires