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Six years ahead: a longitudinal analysis regarding course and predictive value of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in children and adolescents

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An Erratum to this article was published on 11 April 2015

Abstract

Background

Scientifically sound and valid information concerning course and prediction of mental health problems in children and adolescents in the general population is scarce, although needed for public mental health issues and daily clinical practice.

Objectives

The psychopathological profiles of children and adolescents were analysed using the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P) in a longitudinal setting, also investigating the predictive value of the SDQ-scores.

Methods

SDQ’s total psychopathological difficulties, emotional symptoms and hyperactivity-inattention scores of n = 630 children and adolescents (age 6–18;11 years) were examined along four assessment measurement points (T0–T3) over 6 years, using data from the BELLA study. According to the English normative data, the participants were categorized as “normal”, “borderline” or “abnormal” based on their SDQ-scores. Groups remaining within categories were descriptively determined by means of frequency analysis, a subsequent graphical evaluation displayed the transitions from T0 to T3 concerning the different categorical classifications. Finally, ordered probit regression was used to examine whether age, gender, socio-economic status (SES) and baseline impact-score (IS) correspond to the SDQ-predicted classification.

Results

As expected, low SES and high SDQ-IS were associated with significantly increased scores on all examined SDQ-scales. Regarding the long-term aspect of SDQ-scores it could be shown that most children and adolescents remained “normal” over a measurement period of 6 years, while only a small number of children and adolescents steadily remained “abnormal” or newly developed mental health problems, respectively. For example, on the “hyperactivity-inattention”-scale, only 1 % of the children and adolescents changed from “normal” to “abnormal” (T0–T3), whereas on the “emotional symptoms”-scale, 7 % changed from “normal” to “abnormal” (T0–T3). In general, the SDQ-category “borderline” and specifically the subscale “emotional symptoms” change in both directions. Abnormal SDQ-scores at baseline, SES, gender and IS were related to the prediction of the SDQ-sores at T3.

Conclusion

An SDQ-screening of children and adolescents may help for early detection, prediction and treatment planning. Also, these results may contribute to a better understanding of the course of mental health problems in childhood and concurrently may allow a better psychoeducation and prevention.

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Notes

  1. Note that since we use ordered probit regression the standard interpretations of the parameters as log-odds cannot be applied.

  2. It must be noted that these probabilities are constructed on point estimators of which some have sizeable standard errors. Consequently, the precision of the results obtained should be treated with the appropriate caution.

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Disclosure

Aribert Rothenberger: Advisory Board and Speakers Bureau: Lilly, Shire, Medice, Novartis; Research Support: Shire, German Research Society, Schwaabe; Travel Support: Shire; Educational Grant: Shire; Consultant: UCB/Shire; Lilly. Andreas Becker, Alexander Sohn: None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    Andreas Becker & Aribert Rothenberger

  2. Chairs of Statistics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Alexander Sohn

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  1. Andreas Becker
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  2. Aribert Rothenberger
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  3. Alexander Sohn
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The BELLA study group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Becker.

Additional information

Andreas Becker and Aribert Rothenberger have contributed equally.

Members of the BELLA study group are: Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer and Fionna Klasen, Hamburg (Principal Investigators), Claus Barkmann, Hamburg; Monika Bullinger, Hamburg; Manfred Döpfner, Köln; Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Aachen; Heike Hölling, Berlin; Franz Resch, Heidelberg; Aribert Rothenberger, Göttingen; Sylvia Schneider, Bochum; Michael Schulte-Markwort, Hamburg; Robert Schlack, Berlin; Frank Verhulst, Rotterdam; Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Dresden.

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Becker, A., Rothenberger, A., Sohn, A. et al. Six years ahead: a longitudinal analysis regarding course and predictive value of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 24, 715–725 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0640-x

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