Psychometric Properties of Turkish Version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire for Age 2-4

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Psychometric Evaluation
• Early Childhood Development

Background:

• The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for 2-4 year olds (SDQ 2-4) is a key tool for identifying psychosocial issues in young children.
• Validating the SDQ 2-4 in Turkish is crucial for its effective use in early childhood screening within this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the SDQ 2-4 in Turkish children aged 2-4 years.
• To establish the reliability and validity of the SDQ 2-4 for psychosocial screening in early childhood.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 159 participants, where parents completed the SDQ 2-4 Parent and the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scale (BITSEA).
• Children scoring at-risk on the SDQ 2-4 underwent clinical interviews for diagnosis.

Main Results:

• The SDQ 2-4 total difficulties scale demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha of 0.80, indicating good internal consistency.
• Significant correlations were found between SDQ 2-4 scores and BITSEA scores, supporting convergent and divergent validity.
• The scale showed high sensitivity (80%) and specificity (88%) with a cut-off of 10 for the total difficulties scale.

Conclusions:

• The SDQ 2-4 is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing psychosocial difficulties in Turkish children aged 2-4 years.
• The validated SDQ 2-4 can be reliably used for early detection of mental health problems in this age group.