Psychometric Properties of the Parent-Rated SDQ in Preschoolers

Abstract

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is an internationally recognized and widely used screening instrument consisting of 25 items that address positive and negative behavioral attributes of children and adolescents. This paper investigates some of the psychometric properties of the German parent-rated SDQ examining preschool-age children. The sample consisted of 1,738 children – 840 girls and 898 boys – between 3 and 5 years of age. Parents completed the SDQ and gave basic demographical information. All subscales were sufficiently homogeneous. Principal component analysis suggested both a five-factor solution (replicating the original five-factor structure) and a three-factor solution. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a better fit for the five-factor model than for the three-factor model. A comparison between the preschool sample and the German normative sample revealed differences in some subscales. Furthermore, there were gender differences in almost all subscales, with boys showing significantly higher problem scores than girls (except for emotional symptoms) and lower scores on the prosocial behavior scale. Parental education proved to be associated with SDQ scores. This study confirmed that the parent-rated SDQ is a reliable and useful instrument for preschoolers and is recommended for screening purposes.