Learn more about our study that examined the use of the self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in young children.

This research paper, "The validation of the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for use by 6- to 10-year-old children in the UK", was originally published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2013.

If you have any questions about this research or any of our other research projects, don't hesitate to contact our Research and Evaluation team at researchteam@place2be.org.uk.

Summary

Purpose

We collaborated with NHS mental health teams in Lancashire and Manchester and Professor Pamela Qualter at the University of Central Lancashire to see if self-reporting could be used to assess the mental health of children under 11 years old when they completed the SDQ in interviews with a trained counsellor.

What is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)?

The SDQ is a behavioural screening questionnaire for children aged 3–16 years used to assess the mental health of the child or young person who completes it. Sometimes, a teacher or parent may complete an SDQ for the child or young person.

What we did

The self-report SDQ was administered to 900 children aged 6–10 years via interviews with trained counsellors.

Findings

It was found that children between 6 and 10 years of age could provide meaningful SDQ data when completed via interview with a counsellor.

Read the brief report

You can read, download and share the full "The validation of the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for use by 6- to 10-year-old children in the UK" paper below.