SDQ: Uses of the SDQ

Clinical assessment. Many child and adolescent mental health clinics now use the SDQ as part of the initial assessment, getting parents, teachers and young people over the age of 11 to complete questionnaires prior to the first clinical assessment. The findings can then influence how the assessment is carried out and which professionals are involved in that assessment. For example, if a child has been referred with marked conduct problems, an assessment that focused too narrowly on these behaviours and related family issues might overlook associated hyperactivity. Advance knowledge that the child has been given high SDQ hyperactivity ratings by parents and teachers can help ensure that the assessment enquires in detail about hyperactivity; it may also be important to obtain a psychiatric or paediatric opinion early on in the assessment process with a view to establishing suitability for medication (More information).

Evaluating outcome. "Before" and "after" SDQs can be used to audit everyday practice (e.g. in clinics or special schools) and to evaluate specific interventions (e.g. parenting groups). Studies using the SDQ along with research interviews and clinical ratings have shown that the SDQ is sensitive to treatment effects. Child and adolescent mental health services, and other specialist services for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, can use an 'added value' score based on the SDQ as one index of how much help they are providing to the young people they see.

Epidemiology. The SDQ's emphasis on strengths as well as weaknesses makes it particularly acceptable to community samples (abstract). It is being used in many large epidemiological study, e.g. the British nationwide surveys of child mental health, and the Avon longitudinal study.

Research. The SDQ is being used as a research tool throughout the world - in developmental, genetic, social, clinical and educational studies.

Screening. In community samples, multi-informant SDQs can predict the presence of a psychiatric disorder with good specificity and moderate sensitivity (abstract).