Abstract
Few studies have investigated whether parents’, teachers’ and children’s responses to the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) have equivalence. In this study, data from 854 matched questionnaires collected in Malaysia were subjected to tau equivalence confirmatory factor analysis, to assess if all three groups responded to the same target (the child) similarly. We first fitted Goodman’s (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586, (1997a); Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 791–801, 1997b) five factor model, but found that this did not fit the model despite attempts to improve and rectify model fit. We thereafter attempted to fit Dickey and Blumberg (Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 1159–1167, 2004) three factor model, but similarly found a lack of fit. We then undertook an exploratory model with a random half of the data, obtaining a three factor solution, and tested this in a confirmatory tau equivalence model. The Unconstrained Model provided a fit to the data, revealing a similar structure across the three informant groups. As this fit was for the Unconstrained Model, it reveals that groups differ in the value they place on each of the variables but overall that held a similar underlying factor structure. The findings are discussed in relation to the possible cultural issues involved and the use of the SDQ.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach, T.M.: Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist 4–18 and 1991 Profile. University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, Burlington (1991)
Achenbach, T.M.: Manual for the Teacher’s Report Form and 1991 Profile. University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, Burlington (1991)
Achenbach, T.M.: Manual for the Youth Self-Report. University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry, Burlington (1991c)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed). Author, Washington (1994)
Brown, M.W., Cudeck, R.: Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In: Bollen, K.A., Long, J.S. (eds.) Testing Structural Equation Models. Sage, Newbury Park (1993)
Davé, S., Nazareth, I., Senior, R., Sherr, L.: A comparison of father and mother report of child behavior on the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Child Psychiat. Hum. D. 39, 399–413 (2008). doi:10.1007/s10578-008-0097-6
Dickey, W.C., Blumberg, S.J.: Revisiting the factor structure of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire: United States, 2001. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 43, 1159–1167 (2004). doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000132808.36708.a9
Goodman, R.: The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a research note. J. Child Psychol. Psyc. 38, 581–586 (1997). doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545
Goodman, R.: The extended version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. J. Child Psychol. Psyc. 40, 791–801 (1997). doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00494
Goodman, R.: Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 40, 1337–1345 (2001). doi:10.1097/00004583-200111000-00015
Goodman, R., Scott, S.: Comparing the strength and difficulties questionnaire and the child behavior checklist: is small beautiful? J. Abnorm. Child Psych. 27, 17–24 (1999). doi:10.1023/A:1022658222914
Goodman, R., Ford, T., Simmons, H., Gatward, R., Meltzer, H.: Using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) to screen for child psychiatric disorders in a community sample. Int. Rev. Psychiatr. 15, 166–172 (2003). doi:10.1080/0954026021000046128
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., Bailey, V.: The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. Int. Rev. Psychiatr. 15, 173–177 (2003). doi:10.1080/0954026021000046137
Goodman, R., Renfrew, D., Mullick, M.: Predicting type of psychiatric disorder from strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) scores in child mental health clinics in London and Dhaka. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 9, 129–134 (2000). doi:10.1007/s007870050008
Hawes, D.J., Dadds, M.R.: Australian data and psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiat. 38, 644–651 (2004). doi:10.1111/j.1440-1614.2004.01427.x
Hill, C.R., Hughes, J.N.: An examination of the convergent and discriminant validity of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Sch. Psychol. Q. 22, 380–406 (2007). doi:10.1037/1045-3830.22.3.380
Klasen, H., Woerner, W., Wolke, D., Meyer, R., Overmeyer, S., Kaschnitz, W., Rothenberger, A., Goodman, R.: Comparing the German versions of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ-Deu) and the child behavior checklist. Eur. J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 9, 271–276 (2000). doi:10.1007/s007870070030
Koskelainen, M., Sourander, A., Kaljonen, A.: The strengths and difficulties questionnaire among finnish school-aged children and adolescents. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 9, 277–284 (2000). doi:10.1007/s007870070031
Mellor, D.: Furthering the use of the SDQ: reliability with younger child respondents. Psychol. Assess. 16, 396–401 (2004). doi:10.1037/1040-3590.16.4.396
Mellor, D., Stokes, M.A.: The factor structure of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Eur. J. Psychol. Assess. 23, 105–112 (2007). doi:10.1027/1015-5759.23.2.105
Muris, P., Meesters, C., van den Berg, F.: The strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ): further evidence for its reliability and validity in a community sample of Dutch children and adolescents. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 12, 1–8 (2003). doi:10.1007/s00787-003-0298-2
Rønning, J.A., Handegaard, B.H., Sourander, A., Mørch, W.T.: The strengths and difficulties self-report questionnaire as a screening instrument in Norwegian community samples. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 13, 73–82 (2004). doi:10.1007/s00787-004-0356-4
Rutter, M.: A children’s behaviour questionnaire for completion by teachers: preliminary findings. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatr. 8, 1–11 (1967). doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1967.tb02175.x
Rutter, M., Tizard, J., Whatmore, K.: Education, health and behaviour. Longman, London (1970)
Smedje, H., Broman, J.-E., Hetta, J., von Knorring, A.-L.: Psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the “strengths and difficulties questionnaire”. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 8, 63–70 (1999). doi:10.1007/s007870050086
Thabet, A.A., Stretch, D., Vostanis, P.: Child mental health problems in Arab children: application of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Int J Soc Psychiatr. 46, 266–280 (2000). doi:10.1177/002076400004600404
Thompson, B.: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Understanding concepts and applications. American Psychological Association, Washington (2004)
Weisz, J.R., McCarty, C.A., Eastman, K.L., Chaiyasit, W., Suwanlert, S.: Developmental psychology and culture: ten lessons from Thailand. In: Luthar, S.S., Burak, J.A., Cicchetti, D., Weisz, J.R. (eds.) Developmental Psychopathology: Perspectives on Adjustment, Risk, and Disorder, pp. 568–592. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1997)
Woerner, W., Becker, A., Rothenberger, A.: Normative data and scale properties of the German parent SDQ. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr 13((Suppl 2)), 3–10 (2004). doi:10.1007/s00787-004-2002-6
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Emily Goh and Norul Hidayah bt Mamat for assistance in translating the measure into Bahasa Malaysia. Our thanks also go to Nur Daliza for assistance in negotiating our way through the Education Department approval processes and the schools, teachers, parents and children who participated in the project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stokes, M., Mellor, D., Yeow, J. et al. Do parents, teachers and children use the SDQ in a similar fashion?. Qual Quant 48, 983–1000 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-012-9819-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-012-9819-8