The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a tool that helps us understand how children and teenagers are feeling and behaving.
It asks questions about different areas of their lives to see if they have any difficulties or challenges, as well as their strengths.
The questionnaire has 25 questions in total, and they are divided into five groups or scales. Each group looks at a different aspect of a child’s behaviour and emotions.
1. Emotional Symptoms: This scale looks at how children feel inside, like if they often feel sad, worried, or fearful.
2. Conduct Problems: This scale focuses on their behaviour and how they act towards others. It looks at things like being oppositional defiance, getting into fights, or not following ‘rules’.
3. Hyperactivity/Inattention: This scale is about how well children can pay attention and control their impulses. It also looks at how active or restless they are.
4. Peer Relationship Problems: This scale looks at how well children get along with others their age. It considers things like making friends, being bullied, or feeling left out.
5. Prosocial Behaviour: This scale focuses on positive behaviours and strengths. It looks at things like being helpful, kind, and considerate of others.
Once completed, the data is added up to get an overall score for that area.
It’s important to remember that the questionnaire is not a diagnosis but a way to identify potential areas of concern.
