Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire

A behavioural screening questionnaire understanding young people's strengths and challenges.

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used screening tool employed by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and other professionals working with children and adolescents. It's designed to assess the behavioral and emotional attributes of individuals aged 3 to 16 years old.

In order for a school to make a ADHD pathway referral to CAMHS the young person, their parents or carers and the school will be required to complete screening questionnaires. These questionnaires play a vital part in the assessment, and delays in returning them is one of the main reasons for some families experiencing long waits. It’s therefore important to return these questionnaires as quickly as possible so that an appointment can be set up. 

You can say's Assessment tool allows schools to deliver and complete SDQs. The system scores and reports the results individulaly as well as providing reports that comapare Self, parent and teacher scores. The results and reports can be quickly sent to CAMHS alleviating the bottle neck that occurs in getting the screening questionnaires completed.

Here's an overview of its components and usage:

1. Design: The SDQ is a brief behavioral screening questionnaire consisting of 25 items, covering various aspects of a child's behavior. It is typically completed by parents, teachers, or the young person themselves, depending on the context and availability.

2. Domains: The questionnaire is divided into five domains, each containing five items. These domains are:

   • Emotional Symptoms
   • Conduct Problems
   • Hyperactivity/Inattention
   • Peer Relationship Problems
   • Prosocial Behavior

3. Format: Respondents rate each item on a three-point scale, typically indicating whether a particular behavior is "Not True" (0), "Somewhat True" (1), or "Certainly True" (2) for the child being assessed.

4. Scoring: Scores from the different domains can be summed up to create total difficulty scores, with higher scores indicating greater levels of difficulty. Additionally, scores in the Prosocial Behavior domain can be analyzed separately to assess positive attributes.

5. Interpretation: The SDQ doesn't provide a diagnosis but offers a profile of the child's strengths and difficulties. Professionals interpret the scores in conjunction with clinical judgment and other assessment tools to inform clinical decisions, such as whether further assessment or intervention is necessary.

6. Uses: The SDQ is employed in various settings, including schools, clinics, and research studies. In CAMHS, it's often used as an initial screening tool to identify children who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, guiding further assessment and intervention planning.

7. Benefits: The questionnaire is valued for its brevity, ease of administration, and ability to capture both difficulties and strengths in children and adolescents. Its broad coverage of behavioral domains allows for a comprehensive assessment of mental health.

Overall, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire serves as a valuable tool in the assessment and monitoring of children and adolescents' mental health within CAMHS and other clinical settings.