Using the Dutch multi-informant Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to predict adolescent psychiatric diagnoses

Abstract

Knowledge on the validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) among adolescents is limited but essential for the interpretation of SDQ scores preceding the diagnostic process. This study assessed the predictive and discriminative value of adolescent- and parent-rated SDQ scores for psychiatric disorders, diagnosed by professionals in outpatient community clinics, in a sample of 2753 Dutch adolescents aged 12-17. Per disorder, the predictive accuracy of the SDQ scale that is contentwise related to that particular disorder and the SDQ impact scale was assessed. That is, 24 logistic regression analyses were performed, for each combination of DSM-IV diagnosis [4: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct/Oppositional Defiant Disorder (CD/ODD), Anxiety/Mood disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)], informant (3: adolescent, parent, both), and SDQ scale(s) (2; related scale only, related scale and impact scale). Additional logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the discriminative strength of the SDQ scales. The results show both fair predictive strength and fair discriminative strength for the adolescent- and parent-reported hyperactivity scales, the parent-reported conduct scale, and the parent-reported social and prosocial scales, indicating that these scales provide useful information about the presence of ADHD, CD/ODD, and ASD, respectively. The SDQ emotional scale showed to be insufficiently predictive. The findings suggest that parent-rated SDQ scores can be used to provide clinicians with a preliminary impression of the type of problems for ADHD, CD/ODD, and ASD, and adolescent for ADHD.

Children with Trans Parents: Parent–Child Relationship Quality and Psychological Well-being

“…As the child psychiatrist was unaware of the family type being studied, these findings provide important validation for the parents' reports. The findings are in line with the small body of existing literature that similarly found good psychological adjustment in children with trans parents (Chiland et al, 2013;Freedman et al, 2002) and strengthen the empirical basis by offering an assessment using one of the most widely used screening instruments of psychiatric disorders (Vugteveen, De Bildt, Hartman, & Timmerman, 2018).…”

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

“…Third, we will assess the SDQ scales’ ability to distinguish clinical groups from a community group, therewith focusing on the use of the SDQ in a screening context. This clearly differs from an earlier analysis of the clinical data used in this study, where the data were used to investigate how well SDQ scales scores of adolescents referred to mental health care can be used to predict specific types of disorders when used in a clinical context (Vugteveen, de Bildt, Hartman, & Timmerman, 2018). Here, we expect to find support for the use of both SDQ versions’ total difficulties scale for distinguishing between the two general groups (community, clinical).…”

Multi-rater developmental trajectories of hyperactivity–impulsivity and inattention symptoms from 1.5 to 17 years: a population-based birth cohort study

“…Evidence from several recent studies suggests that the predictive validity of adolescent self-reports is lower than that of parent reports—at least in certain contexts such as predicting longer-term life outcomes. This has led to the suggestion that parent reports should be favored over self-reports where possible [45, 46]. One explanation for this observation is that children underestimate the severity of their own symptoms [47].…”