The SDQ in Italian clinical practice: evaluation between three outpatient groups compared

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Pediatric Psychology
• Clinical Screening Tools

Background:

• Emotional and behavioral problems are prevalent in children and adolescents.
• Early detection of psychopathological disorders is crucial for timely intervention.
• Screening tools are essential for identifying at-risk populations in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a screening tool.
• To assess SDQ utility in identifying emotional and behavioral problems in three distinct pediatric populations.
• To determine the SDQ's role in detecting psychopathology among children with chronic organic diseases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a brief screening instrument.
• Analyzed 497 parent-completed questionnaires.
• Included children referred to Child Neuropsychiatry, Pediatric Endocrinology, and Pediatric Oncology Units.

Main Results:

• A higher prevalence of psychopathological disorders was observed in Neuropsychiatry patients compared to Oncology and Endocrinology patients.
• Oncology patients exhibited more emotional and behavioral problems than Endocrinology patients.
• The SDQ demonstrated utility in differentiating problem severity across these at-risk groups.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the use of the SDQ for assessing emotional and behavioral problems in at-risk pediatric populations.
• The SDQ can be a valuable tool for clinicians to detect early psychopathological disorders in children with chronic organic diseases.
• This study validates the SDQ's application across diverse pediatric subspecialty referrals.