Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ Self Rated
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ Self Rated overview
Creator and Context
The self rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is the young person's own report of the same 25 items used in the parent and teacher versions.
The self report version was described by Goodman, Meltzer and Bailey in 1998. The SDQ is copyrighted and distributed by Youthinmind, and electronic versions require prior authorisation.
Presenting Conditions
The same five scales of five items each:
Emotional symptoms
Conduct problems
Hyperactivity and inattention
Peer relationship problems
Prosocial behaviour, which is not included in the total
The first four scales sum to Total Difficulties, and an impact supplement covers distress and social impairment.
Administration
Self completed by the young person. Items are rated Not True (0), Somewhat True (1) or Certainly True (2), covering the last six months or this school year. A follow up version with a one month window is available.
Desired Audience
Young people aged around 11 to 17, depending on level of understanding and literacy. An 18 plus self rated version exists, but the categorical bands have not been validated for it, so continuous scores should be used instead.
The self report version is the one that captures internalising difficulty. Adults consistently under detect anxiety and low mood in young people, and the self rated SDQ is often the first place that shows up.
Considerations
A screening tool, not a diagnostic one.
Self report bands differ from parent and teacher bands. The Total Difficulties thresholds are the highest of the three.
The 18 plus version has no validated bands and no adult norms. Use continuous scores.
The six month recall window makes the standard version unsuitable for short follow up intervals. Use the follow up version.
Electronic implementation requires a licence from Youthinmind.
How to score the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ Self Rated
Conducting the assessment
The young person rates 25 items on a three point scale, with five items reverse scored. Scales can be pro rated if at least three of the five items are completed.
Interpretation
Each scale scores 0 to 10 and Total Difficulties scores 0 to 40.
Four band interpretation for the self rated version (close to average, slightly raised, high, very high):
Total Difficulties: 0 to 14, 15 to 17, 18 to 19, 20 to 40
Emotional symptoms: 0 to 4, 5, 6, 7 to 10
Conduct problems: 0 to 3, 4, 5, 6 to 10
Hyperactivity: 0 to 5, 6, 7, 8 to 10
Peer problems: 0 to 2, 3, 4, 5 to 10
Prosocial (close to average, slightly lowered, low, very low): 7 to 10, 6, 5, 0 to 4
Clinical Considerations
Always collect the self report where the young person is old enough. Adults miss internalising problems.
Apply the self report bands, not the parent or teacher bands.
Use the impact supplement to distinguish symptoms from need.
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ Self Rated use cases
Young people's own report of emotional and behavioural difficulties
Multi informant assessment alongside parent and teacher versions
Routine outcome monitoring using the follow up version
Population and epidemiological research
Category
Children & Young People
Research Summary
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 7(3), 125 to 130.
Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581 to 586.
Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(11), 1337 to 1345.
Other Assessment Guides
Young Person's CORE YP-CORE
A guide to the YP-CORE, the 10 item measure of psychological distress in young people aged 11 to 16. Covers scoring, the gender and age specific clinical cut offs and the reliable change index.
Me and My Feelings Questionnaire
A guide to the Me and My Feelings questionnaire, the 16 item school based screen for emotional and behavioural difficulties in children. Covers the two subscales, cut offs and its limits as a screener.
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SDQ Parent
A guide to the parent completed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Covers the five scales, the four band scoring thresholds, the impact supplement and how to use it with teacher and self report versions.
Note on Assessment licensing
Some assessments are copyright protected and require a licence or the copyright holder's permission for clinical, commercial or digital use. Where that applies, obtaining and maintaining that permission is the responsibility of the practice or organisation using the assessment. Tacklit provides the digital administration, scoring and reporting. We do not grant, transfer or supply rights to the underlying instrument.
