The main goal of the European Federation of Psychologists’Associations (EFPA) Standing Committee on Tests and Testing (SCTT) is the improvement of testing practices in European countries. In order to reach this goal, the SCTT carries out various actions and projects, some of which are described in this paper. To better inform its work, it decided to survey the opinions of professional psychologists on testing practices. A questionnaire of 33 items was administered to a sample of 12,606 professional psychologists from 17 European countries. The questionnaire was based on, but not identical to, one used in 2000. The new data show that the positive attitude of the respondents toward the use of tests that was obtained in 2000 has increased in most countries, with a high percentage of the surveyed psychologists using tests regularly. Five main dimensions explained 43% of the total item variance. The dimensions involve items relating to: Concern over incorrect test use, regulations on tests and testing, Internet testing, appreciation of tests, and knowledge and training relating to tests and test use. Important differences between countries were found on these five dimensions. Differences were found according to gender for four of the five dimensions and in relation to field of specialization for all five dimensions. The most commonly used tests are the classic psychometric tests of intelligence and personality: WISC, WAIS, MMPI, RAVEN, 16PF, NEO-PI-R, BDI, SCL-90. Finally, some future perspectives are discussed.

BackgroundFrom the public health perspective, epidemiological data of child mental health and psychosocial correlates were necessary and very lacking in Lithuanian society that has been undergoing rapid socio-economic change since the past decades. Together with determining the prevalence rates of disorders and assessing the needs for the services, this study has also shifted attention from the highly selective samples of children attending children and adolescent mental health services towards less severe cases of psychopathology as well as different attitudes of parents and teachers. The aim of the first epidemiological study in Lithuania was to identify the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the community sample of children.MethodsChild psychiatric disorders were investigated in a representative sample of 3309 children aged 7–16 years (1162 7–10-year-olds and 2147 11–16-year-olds), using a two-phase design with the Lithuanian version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in the first screening phase, and the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) in the second diagnostic phase.ResultsThe estimated point prevalence of ICD-10 psychiatric disorders was 13.1% for the total sample (14.0% for the child sample and 12.1% for adolescent sample). The most common groups of disorders were Conduct disorders 6.6% (7.1% for child sample and 6.0% for adolescent sample), Anxiety disorders 5.0% (5.9% for child sample and 6.0% for adolescent sample), with Hyperkinesis being less common 2.0% (2.7% for child sample and 1.2% for adolescent sample). Potential risk factors were related to individual characteristics of the child (gender, poor general health, and stressful life experiences), and the family (single parenthood, foster care, unfavourable family climate, disciplining difficulties, worries related to TV or computer use).ConclusionsThe overall prevalence of youth psychiatric disorders was relatively high in this representative Lithuanian sample compared to Western European countries. The SDQ and DAWBA measures appear useful for the further research and clinical practice in this society.

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R. Goodmano (1997) sukurtas SDQ (Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire, toliau Galių ir sunkumų klausimynas) plačiai taikomas pasaulyje vaikų emocinių simptomų, elgesio problemų, hiperaktyvumo, santykių su bendraamžiais problemų ir socialumo formalizuotai atrankai, išverstas į daugelį pasaulio kalbų. Šiame tyrime pristatome lietuviškų SDQ tėvų, mokytojų ir vaikų versijų psichometrines charakteristikas, remdamiesi 2003 metais atlikto reprezentacinės 7–16 metų Lietuvos vaikų imties (n = 2626) tyrimo rezultatais. Duomenų analizė taikant vidinio suderinamumo metodą, koreliacinę ir faktorių analizę bei klinikinės ir neklinikinės grupės rezultatų palyginimą parodė pakankamą visų trijų lietuviškų versijų patikimumą ir validumą: nustatyta, kad geriausios psichometrinės charakteristikos yra mokytojų versijos, o prasčiausios – vaikų versijos. Lietuviškųjų SDQ versijų ribos įverčiai panašūs į britų. Skiriasi tik britų ir lietuvių tėvų atsakymai apie vaikų emocinius simptomus ir bendrus sunkumus bei socialų elgesį. Pastarąjį skirtumą patvirtina ir pačių vaikų atsakymai. Straipsnyje pristatomi rezultatai leidžia teigti, kad lietuviškas SDQ versijas galima naudoti psichologiniam įvertinimui mokslinio tyrimo ir formalizuotos atrankos tikslais. A STANDARDISED LITHUANIAN VERSION OF STRENGHTS AND DIFFICULTIES QUESTIONNAIRE (SDQ) FOR SCHOOL-AGED CHILDRENGražina Gintilienė, Sigita Girdzijauskienė, Dovilė Černiauskaitė, Sigita Lesinskienė, Robertas Povilaitis, Dainius Pūras SummaryStrengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) developed by R. Goodman (1997) has been widely used in epidemiological studies throughout the world as a screening measure for mental health in children and adolescents. The SDQ comprises 25 items plus supplement on impact of the difficulties for the child and family. There are 5 subscales: Prosocial behaviour, Hyperactivity, Emotional symptoms, Conduct problems and Peers problems, the last four adding up to the Total Difficulties score. The design of the SDQ with both strength’ and difficulties’ items supposedly increases acceptability of the instrument on behalf of informants and make questionnaire especially suitable for studies of general population were the majority of children are healthy. Three SDQ versions (parent, teacher and self-report) were translated into Lithuanian language and psychometric properties of those Lithuanian SDQ versions are presented and analysed in this article. Representative sample of children aged 7–16 years (n = 2626) was randomly selected from 14 big town, 9 town and 20 country schools. 2447 parent versions, 2613 teacher versions and 1612 self-report versions were completed. SDQ self-report version was administered only to 11–16 year olds. Data analysis based on method of internal consistency, item inter- and intra-scale correlation, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, comparison of data in clinical and non-clinical groups (62 children) and inter-rater correlations showed adequate psychometric properties of the Lithuanian SDQ. Cronbach’s alpha for the total difficulties score was in three informant reports 0.72–0.85, while the range in different subscales was 0.34–0.86. As raters, the teachers had the best internal consistency. The lowest level of alpha was in self-report version. Correlation analysis confirmed the postulated structure of the SDQ in all three versions, while the results of factor analysis had some exceptions to it. Lithuanian cut-off points were similar of those found in British sample. Applying Cohen’s criteria for the effect size between British and Lithuanian samples all the SDQ subscales felt in a low area except prosocial behaviour, emotional symptoms and total difficulties subscales in parents reports and prosocial subscale in self-report which felt in the moderate area. The present study gives further evidence of usefulness of the Lithuanian SDQ as screening instrument for research and clinical purposes.