Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Adolescent Community and Clinical Populations

Abstract

This study assessed the factor structures of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) adolescent and parent versions and their measurement invariance across settings in clinical ( n = 4,053) and community ( n = 962) samples of Dutch adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Per SDQ version, confirmatory factor analyses were performed to assess its factor structure in clinical and community settings and to test for measurement invariance across these settings. The results suggest measurement invariance of the presumed five-factor structure for the parent version and a six-factor structure for the adolescent version. Furthermore, evaluation of the SDQ scale sum scores as used in practice, indicated that working with sum scores yields a fairly reasonable approximation of working with the favorable but less easily computed factor scores. These findings suggest that adolescent- and parent-reported SDQ scores can be interpreted using community-based norm scores, regardless of whether the adolescent has been referred for mental health problems.

Validity Aspects of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Adolescent Self-Report and Parent-Report Versions Among Dutch Adolescents

“…This screening setting resembles the context in which the data were collected, that is, in a community setting. Note that in a previous study using the same data, the SDQ's measurement invariance across clinical and community populations was supported (Vugteveen, de Bildt, Serra, de Wolff, & Timmerman, 2018), which assures us that we do not unintentionally ignore a potential setting effect by looking at only the community data. Here, first we will assess the presumed five-factor structure of both SDQ versions using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), because this structure most closely resembles how SDQ scale scores are calculated in practice.…”

Physical and mental health impacts during COVID-19 quarantine in adolescents with preexisting chronic immunocompromised conditions

“…Another positive feature of the study was the use of an international and self-reported validated tool with high reliability to measure psychosocial functioning in adolescents. 20 , 30 The authors also used an overall semi-structured self-reported survey, including broad information on teen habits and issues, allowing for a comprehensive characterization of this cohort.…”

A dual perspective on first-session therapeutic alliance: strong predictor of youth mental health and addiction treatment outcome

“…Youths in YMHC were considered to have a favorable outcome status if their 4-month SDQ total score was lower than 12.5. In the absence of formal Dutch cut-off scores [31], we followed the procedures suggested by Jacobson and Truax [32] and De Beurs et al [33] to determine the cut-off value of 12.5 as the average of the mean SDQ total score in a Dutch general youth population sample (M = 9.7, SD = 4.7; [28]) and the mean baseline SDQ total score in our clinical population (M = 15.3, SD = 5.4). Youths in YAC were considered to have a favorable outcome status if they had used their primary substance or displayed their primary gaming/gambling on less than five days in the 30 days preceding the 4-month follow-up, as recommended in the guidelines for routine outcome monitoring (ROM) in Dutch addiction care (Blanken, et al 2011, Note from Dutch Expertgroup ROM-Addiction care).…”