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Screening for childhood mental health disorders using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: the validity of

Samantha Johnson1, Chris Hollis, Neil Marlow

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|January 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) shows good diagnostic accuracy for mental health conditions in extremely preterm children. Combined parent and teacher ratings are recommended for screening, while pervasive ratings offer higher predictive accuracy.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Neurodevelopment

Background:

  • Extremely preterm birth (<26 weeks gestation) is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental and psychological challenges.
  • Accurate screening tools are crucial for early identification and intervention in this vulnerable population.
  • The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used screening tool for child mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the SDQ in children born extremely preterm.
  • To compare the effectiveness of different multi-informant rating methods (combined and pervasive) for SDQ assessment.
  • To determine the optimal SDQ rating strategy for identifying specific psychological problems in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 219 children born extremely preterm (age 11 years) was assessed.
  • Parents and teachers completed the SDQ to screen for psychological issues.
  • Psychiatric diagnoses were established using the Development and Well-Being Assessment for comparison.

Main Results:

  • Pervasive ratings (both parents and teachers agreeing) demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for emotional disorders, conduct disorders, ADHD, and ASDs, but with low sensitivity.
  • Combined ratings (either parent or teacher agreeing) showed better clinical utility for screening emotional disorders, conduct disorders, and ADHD.
  • Parent ratings were most accurate for identifying Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

Conclusions:

  • Multi-informant SDQ data are valuable for assessing mental health in extremely preterm children.
  • Pervasive ratings offer superior predictive accuracy as an outcome measure.
  • Combined ratings are effective for screening ADHD, emotional, and conduct disorders, while parent ratings are best for ASDs.
Abstract

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