Parent Ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: What Is the Optimum Factor Model?

Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1142-1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapson Gomez ◽  
Vasilis Stavropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Factor Model ◽  
Structural Models ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Parent Ratings ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Peer Problems ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Parent Version

To date, at least 12 different models have been suggested for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The current study used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the relative support for these models. In all, 1,407 Malaysian parents completed SDQ ratings of their children (age range = 5-13 years). Although the findings showed some degree of support for all 12 models, there was most support for an oblique six-factor model that included the five SDQ domains (emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior) and a positive construal factor comprising all the 10 SDQ positive worded items. The original proposed five-factor oblique model also showed good fit. The implications of the findings for understanding the results of past studies of the structural models of the parent version of the SDQ, and for clinical and research practice involving the SDQ are discussed.

scholarly journals Malaysian Parent Ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Across Language Versions, Gender, Informants, and Race

Assessment ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1971-1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapson Gomez ◽  
Vasileios Stavropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
Parent Ratings ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties

For a Malaysian sample, the current study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the best model for parent ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and then multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) to confirm this model, and to examine measurement invariance across different language versions (Malay and English), child’s gender (boys and girls), informants (mothers and fathers), and racial groups (Malay, Chinese, and Indians). In all 1,407 Malaysian parents completed SDQ ratings of their children (age ranging from 5 to 13 years). The EFA showed most support for a two-factor model oblique model, with factors for a positive construal factor and a psychopathology factor. CFA confirmed this model, and MCFA showed full measurement invariance (configural, metric. and scalar) across the groups in the different comparisons. For all comparisons, there were equivalencies for latent mean scores. The implications of the findings for clinical and research practice involving the SDQ in Malaysia are discussed.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a Community Sample of French-Speaking Adolescents

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu d'Acremont ◽  
Martial Van der Linden
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Peer Problems ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties

Abstract. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) assesses adaptive and problematic behavior in children and adolescents ( Goodman, 1997 ). The aim of this study was to test the construct validity of a French translation of the scale. Teachers completed the SDQ for their pupils (279 girls and 278 boys, 13-18 years). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the SDQ supported the original distinction between Conduct problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, Peer problems, Emotional symptoms, and Prosocial behavior. Multigroup CFA revealed invariance of factor measurement across gender. In addition, boys had higher factor scores for Conduct problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, and Peer problems whereas girls were more Prosocial. The internal reliability of the subscales ranges from acceptable to very good. These results indicate that the French version of the SDQ has a reliable factor organization among adolescent boys and girls.

The Parent Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisanne L. Stone ◽  
Roy Otten ◽  
Linda Ringlever ◽  
Marieke Hiemstra ◽  
Rutger C. M. E. Engels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
Meaningful Group ◽  
Dutch Sample ◽  
Parent Version

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used screening instrument for child psychopathology. Many studies have consistently reported rather low α values for certain subscales for the SDQ parent version. Further, the factor structure has not been tested frequently by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); research into measurement invariance is even scarcer. Therefore, this study evaluates the internal reliability and tests for measurement invariance for the SDQ parent version. In a Dutch sample of 1,484 children we examined reliability by using coefficient ω and tested for invariance across several subgroups. Also, we conducted CFA to examine the five-factor structure of the SDQ. ω yielded higher values than α did, which supports the use of ω in a SEM-based framework. Support for measurement invariance was found on the configural, metric, and scalar level, and as expected, the five-factor structure was confirmed. Scholars are advised to consider ω as an alternative to α, seeing that various problems with α have been discussed. Support for measurement invariance was found for several demographic variables, so that meaningful group comparisons can now be made for the SDQ parent version.

scholarly journals A Longitudinal and Gender Invariance Analysis of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Across Ages 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, and 17 in a Large U.K.-Representative Sample

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110093
Author(s):  
Aja Louise Murray ◽  
Lydia Gabriela Speyer ◽  
Hildigunnur Anna Hall ◽  
Sara Valdebenito ◽  
Claire Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Peer Problems ◽  
Gender Invariance ◽  
Residual Level ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Age Range

Developmental invariance is important for making valid inferences about child development from longitudinal data; however, it is rarely tested. We evaluated developmental and gender invariance for one of the most widely used measures of child mental health: the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Using data from the large U.K. population-representative Millennium Cohort Study ( N = 10,207; with data at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, and 17 years), we tested configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance in emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, prosociality, and peer problems. We found that the SDQ showed poor fit at age 3 in both males and females and at age 17 in males; however, it fit reasonably well and its scores were measurement invariant up to the residual level across gender at ages 5, 7, 11, and 14 years. Scores were also longitudinally measurement invariant across this age range up to the partial residual level. Results suggest that the parent-reported SDQ can be used to estimate developmental trajectories of emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, prosociality, and peer problems and their gender differences across the age range 5 to 14 years using a latent model. Developmental differences outside of this range may; however, partly reflect measurement differences.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: Factor Structure of the Father-Report and Parent Agreement in 2-Year-Old Children

Assessment ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1059-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie D’Souza ◽  
Karen E. Waldie ◽  
Elizabeth R. Peterson ◽  
Lisa Underwood ◽  
Susan M. B. Morton
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Modified Model ◽  
Mothers And Fathers ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties

There is limited research on the preschool version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and comparisons between mothers and fathers as informants and whether the factor structure shows measurement invariance across parents is lacking. Our study involved mothers ( n = 6,246) and fathers ( n = 3,759) of 2-year-old children from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the SDQ and test for measurement invariance across mothers and fathers. For fathers, we found support for a modified five-factor model that accounts for a positive construal method effect. Internal consistency was good for measures except peer problems. Full measurement invariance of this modified model was found across mothers and fathers, and parents showed moderate agreement in their SDQ ratings (0.34 ≤ r ≤ 0.44). More research is needed on whether mother- and father-reports differ in sensitivity when screening for early childhood psychiatric disorders.

Measurement Invariance of the Parent Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Across Community and Clinical Populations

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 238-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris A. M. Smits ◽  
Meinou H. C. Theunissen ◽  
Sijmen A. Reijneveld ◽  
Maaike H. Nauta ◽  
Marieke E. Timmerman
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Favorable Result ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
Parent Version ◽  
Clinical Populations

Abstract. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a popular screening instrument for the detection of social-emotional and behavioral problems in children in community and clinical settings. To sensibly compare SDQ scores across these settings, the SDQ should measure psychosocial difficulties and strengths in the same way across community and clinical populations, that is, the SDQ should be measurement invariant across both populations. We examined whether measurement invariance of the parent version of the SDQ holds using data from a community sample (N = 707) and a clinical sample (N = 931). The results of our analysis suggest that measurement invariance of the SDQ parent version across community and clinical populations is tenable, implying that one can compare the SDQ scores of children across these populations. This is a favorable result since it is common clinical practice to interpret the scores of a clinical individual relative to norm scores that are based on community samples. The findings of this study support the continued use of the parent version of the SDQ in community and clinical settings.

Analysing Dynamic Change in Children’s Socio-Emotional Development using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a large UK Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Gabriela Speyer ◽  
Anastasia Ushakova ◽  
Hildigunnur Anna Hall ◽  
Michelle Luciano ◽  
Bonnie Auyeung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Mental Health Issue ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Peer Problems ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties

Background: Most mental health difficulties have their onset during childhood and adolescence. Many children who suffer from one mental health issue also suffer from at least one comorbid disorder. Autoregressive latent trajectory models with structured residuals (ALT-SR) and multilevel graphical vector autoregression (GVAR) are recent complementary approaches that can help provide new insights into the reciprocal relationships between multiple mental health domains and advance the understanding of the development of comorbidities.Methods: This study uses ALT-SR and multilevel GVAR models to analyse the temporal, contemporaneous and between-person relationships between emotional problems, peer problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention and prosociality as measured by the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 17,478 children taking part in the UK Millennium Cohort Study at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, 14 and 17 years. Results: Results from both the ALT-SR model and the multilevel GVAR model highlight that children’s strengths and difficulties in different domains of psychosocial functioning dynamically influence each other over- and within-time. The ALT-SR model highlighted that hyperactivity/inattention plays a central role in affecting other domains over developmental time while the GVAR model highlighted comparably strong bidirectional relationships between conduct problems and prosociality as well as between emotional problems and peer problems. Both models suggest that most domains are also related to each other over shorter timescales.Conclusion: This study highlights that mental health difficulties influence one another dynamically over time. As illustrated in the domains of the SDQ, these dynamic changes can be modelled using the complementary techniques of ALT-SR or GVAR models, each offering different insights into the nature of comorbidity.

scholarly journals Does the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – self report yield invariant measurements across different nations? Data from the International Child Mental Health Study Group

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stevanovic ◽  
R. Urbán ◽  
O. Atilola ◽  
P. Vostanis ◽  
Y. P. Singh Balhara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Conduct Problems ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties Questionnaire ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Prosocial Behaviour ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties

Aims.This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) self-report among adolescents from seven different nations.Methods.Data for 2367 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Croatia were available for a series of factor analyses.Results.The five-factor model including original SDQ scales emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity–inattention problems, peer problems and prosocial behaviour generated inadequate fit degree in all countries. A bifactor model with three factors (i.e., externalising, internalising and prosocial) and one general problem factor yielded adequate degree of fit in India, Nigeria, Turkey and Croatia. The prosocial behaviour, emotional symptoms and conduct problems factor were found to be common for all nations. However, originally proposed items loaded saliently on other factors besides the proposed ones or only some of them corresponded to proposed factors in all seven countries.Conclusions.Due to the lack of a common acceptable model across all countries, namely the same numbers of factors (i.e., dimensional invariance), it was not possible to perform the metric and scalar invariance test, what indicates that the SDQ self-report models tested lack appropriate measurement invariance across adolescents from these seven nations and it needs to be revised for cross-country comparisons.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document