Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Background: Father involvement is an important aspect of the caregiving environment that is associated with children’s social-emotional development. Such involvement includes interaction, support, attention, and participation in children’s activities. This study aimed to analyze the association between nine dimensions of father involvement and emotional and behavioral difficulties among children aged 5-9 years. Methods: This study used a quantitative research method with a cross-sectional design. Participants were 130 mothers who had children aged 5-9 years in Jonggol Village. Father involvement was measured using the Inventory of Father Involvement (IFI), consisting of nine dimensions, while children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) through the Total Difficulties score. Associations were analyzed using the Spearman Rank correlation test with a significance level of 5%. Results: Three of the nine IFI dimensions showed significant negative associations with SDQ Total Difficulties: Time and Talking (rs = −0.181; p = 0.040), Reading and Homework (rs = −0.227; p = 0.009), and Attention (rs = −0.178; p = 0.043). The other six dimensions were not significantly associated with SDQ Total Difficulties (p > 0.05). Findings are exploratory (p-values unadjusted). Conclusion: Specific aspects of father involvement, particularly time and communication, participation in reading and homework, and attention, were associated with lower emotional and behavioral difficulties among children. These findings highlight the importance of examining father involvement not only as an overall construct but also according to its specific dimensions

Despite growing concerns about mental health difficulties among children and youth, limited empirical evidence exists on the extent to which adverse childhood experiences and resilience predict mental health difficulties among school-going children and youth in rural communities. This research explored the prevalence and psychosocial predictors of mental health difficulties among children and youth. The study adopted a correlational and descriptive research design. Respondents consisted of 837 children and youth, who were selected from Johannesburg West Education District. They were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q), and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM) as data-collection instruments. Frequencies and percentages, regression analysis, and moderation analysis were conducted using Hayes' PROCESS Macro. Findings revealed that about 44.4%, 18.3%, and 37.3% of the participants were within the normal, borderline, and abnormal ranges of mental health well-being, respectively. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly predicted mental health difficulties (β = .238, t = 7.071, p < .001), contributing about 5.6% of the variation in mental health difficulties among youth and children. Resilience is also a significant predictor (β = −.121, t = −3.524, p < .001), accounting for about 1.5% of the variation in mental health problems; higher resilience was associated with lower levels of mental health difficulties. Moderation analyses showed that age and gender did not significantly moderate the relationships between ACEs, resilience, and mental health difficulties. The study concludes that ACEs constitute a significant risk factor, whereas resilience serves as a protective factor. The findings highlight the need for trauma-informed interventions, resilience-building programmes, and comprehensive mental health support services to promote positive mental health outcomes among children and youth.

Online learning can improve access to educational materials, but it may also create additional demands for school-aged learners who experience learning disabilities. This study examined perceived academic, emotional, behavioural, and adaptation-related outcomes of online classes among students in Grades 1-10 with learning difficulties, drawing on student, parent, and teacher reports. The dissertation describes a quantitative, cross-sectional survey involving 95 participants and the use of the Learning Disabilities Checklist (LDC), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS), and a researcher-developed questionnaire. Reported findings indicate difficulties with attention, comprehension, task completion, and motivation in online settings, alongside lower perceived academic performance than in traditional classrooms. Parent and teacher reports were associated with students? reported learning difficulties. A significant association was reported between student and teacher reports, χ2(1, N = 95) = 20.5, p < .001, φ = .465; a similar association was reported for student and parent reports, χ2(1, N = 95) = 21.0, p < .001, φ = .471. Student and parent reports of emotional wellbeing were also positively correlated, ρ = .674, p < .001. The findings suggest that online learning requires structured routines, accessible teaching materials, trained educators, and coordinated family-school support to better accommodate learners with learning disabilities. Results should be interpreted cautiously because detailed descriptive scores and an effect estimate for the academic comparison were not reported consistently in the dissertation.

Background The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a commonly used screening instrument for assessing emotional and behavioral strengths and difficulties among children and adolescents. However, although the SDQ’s psychometric properties have been tested extensively in the literature, its current form is under debate as to whether it is suitable as a tool to assess adolescent mental health, especially among refugees. Therefore, this study aims to validate the SDQ scale among Adolescent Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Palestine, and Jordan. Methods The psychometric properties of the original SDQ and other suggested alternatives were tested. First, construct validity for the original SDQ was tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to evaluate the latent factorial structure for suggested alternatives, followed by CFA to provide additional evaluation of each alternative. Then, convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity were assessed. Finally, the internal consistency and reliability were assessed using multiple tests. Results This study included 2,828 adolescent girls living in Palestine refugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan. Of these, 2,725 participants were included in the final analysis based on completion of the SDQ. CFA indicated that the original five-factor SDQ demonstrated poor fit in this sample (CFI/TLI < 0.40; RMSEA = 0.081; SRMR = 0.110), with several items showing low standardized loadings. EFA and CFA analyses supported alternative factorial structures. A four-factor model showed acceptable fit (CFI = 0.896; RMSEA = 0.040; SRMR = 0.039) after removing poorly performing items, but a three-factor solution provided the best overall fit (CFI = 0.942; TLI = 0.930; RMSEA = 0.034; SRMR = 0.033). The final three-factor model retained 15 items representing Emotional Symptoms, Prosocial behavior, and Conduct Problems. The weak correlation between the difficulties did not support convergent validity score and WHO-5 well-being (r = −0.245). Criterion validity analyses showed acceptable discrimination for overall difficulties (AUC = 0.776). Reliability analyses indicated adequate internal consistency for the composite difficulties scale (α = 0.71). Conclusion The original SDQ structure validity and reliability were not supported for use among Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Jordan. Instead, the 3-factor and 15-item alternative might be a better alternative, given its superior model fit indices and construct validity. However, it still had limitations in reliability and convergent validity, making it far from being an adequate substitute for the original SDQ. Contexts, culture, and the surrounding environment might influence how adolescents in refugee settings understand, interpret, and respond to SDQ items.

زمینه: پرسشنامه نقاط قوت و ضعف (SDQ) ابزاری رایج برای غربالگری نقاط قوت و ضعف هیجانی و رفتاری در کودکان و نوجوانان است. با این حال، اگرچه ویژگی‌های روان‌سنجی SDQ به طور گسترده‌ای در متون علمی آزمون شده است، اما درباره مناسب بودن فرم فعلی آن به عنوان ابزاری برای ارزیابی سلامت روان نوجوانان، به ویژه در میان پناهندگان، بحث‌هایی وجود دارد. بنابراین، هدف این مطالعه اعتبارسنجی مقیاس SDQ در میان نوجوانان پناهنده فلسطینی در کرانه باختری، فلسطین و اردن است. روش‌ها: ویژگی‌های روان‌سنجی فرم اصلی SDQ و سایر فرم‌های پیشنهادی مورد آزمون قرار گرفت. ابتدا روایی سازه فرم اصلی SDQ از طریق تحلیل عاملی تأییدی (CFA) بررسی شد. سپس، تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی (EFA) برای ارزیابی ساختار عاملی نهفته فرم‌های جایگزین پیشنهادی به کار رفت و پس از آن CFA برای ارزیابی بیشتر هر جایگزین انجام شد. سپس، روایی همگرا، واگرا و روایی ملاکی بررسی شد. در نهایت، انسجام درونی و پایایی با استفاده از آزمون‌های متعدد ارزیابی شد. یافته‌ها: این مطالعه شامل ۲٬۸۲۸ دختر نوجوان ساکن اردوگاه‌های پناهندگان فلسطین در کرانه باختری و اردن بود. از این تعداد، ۲٬۷۲۵ نفر بر اساس تکمیل SDQ در تحلیل نهایی وارد شدند. تحلیل CFA نشان داد که فرم اصلی پنج‌عاملی SDQ برازش ضعیفی در این نمونه دارد (CFI/TLI < 0.40؛ RMSEA = 0.081؛ SRMR = 0.110) و چندین گویه بار عاملی استاندارد پایینی داشتند. تحلیل‌های EFA و CFA ساختارهای عاملی جایگزین را تأیید کردند. مدل چهارعاملی پس از حذف گویه‌های ضعیف، برازش قابل قبولی نشان داد (CFI = 0.896؛ RMSEA = 0.040؛ SRMR = 0.039)، اما راه‌حل سه‌عاملی بهترین برازش کلی را داشت (CFI = 0.942؛ TLI = 0.930؛ RMSEA = 0.034؛ SRMR = 0.033). مدل نهایی سه‌عاملی شامل ۱۵ گویه بود که نمایانگر نشانه‌های هیجانی، رفتار موافق اجتماعی و مشکلات رفتاری بودند. همبستگی ضعیف میان مشکلات با نمره روایی همگرای SDQ و بهزیستی WHO-5 (r = −0.245) مشاهده شد. تحلیل‌های روایی ملاکی تمایزپذیری قابل قبولی برای مشکلات کلی نشان دادند (AUC = 0.776). تحلیل‌های پایایی انسجام درونی مناسب برای مقیاس ترکیبی مشکلات را نشان داد (α = 0.71). نتیجه‌گیری: روایی ساختاری و پایایی فرم اصلی SDQ برای استفاده در میان پناهندگان فلسطینی در کرانه باختری و اردن تأیید نشد. در عوض، فرم جایگزین سه‌عاملی و ۱۵ گویه‌ای ممکن است گزینه بهتری باشد، زیرا شاخص‌های برازش مدل و روایی سازه بهتری دارد. با این حال، همچنان محدودیت‌هایی در پایایی و روایی همگرا وجود دارد که آن را از جایگزینی مناسب برای فرم اصلی SDQ دور می‌کند. زمینه، فرهنگ و محیط پیرامون ممکن است بر نحوه درک، تفسیر و پاسخ‌دهی نوجوانان در شرایط پناهندگی به گویه‌های SDQ تأثیرگذار باشد.

Children in care have been shown to be at a higher risk of speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN). However, the presence of several co-occurring adversities means that SLCNs in this group are often overlooked. Improving understanding of SLCN vulnerability among children in care is therefore important for informing targeted interventions and supporting more positive educational and psychosocial outcomes. In our study, we examined the prevalence of SLCN among children in care and its association with educational attainment and social–emotional development as recorded in routine practice. A secondary analysis was conducted using routinely collected data recorded in a local authority database in an inner-city borough in South-East England. The eligible cohort comprised 141 children aged 5 to 14 years living in out-of-home care, of whom 78 had language screening data available. Measures included educational attainment in English, mathematics, and science, alongside social–emotional and behavioural functioning assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Forty-one percent of the sample presented with SLCN. Difficulties were evident across several domains, including word-finding, initiating and maintaining conversations, and peer relationships. Analyses revealed meaningful associations between SLCN, lower educational attainment, and poorer social–emotional outcomes. These findings provide preliminary group-level evidence of the higher prevalence and complexity of SLCN among children in care and their associations with educational and social–emotional outcomes. These results highlight the need for coordinated clinical, educational, and policy responses. These include improved recognition of multifaceted SLCN and timely referral to speech and language therapy services, to support more equitable outcomes for children in care.

مطالعات نشان داده‌اند که کودکان تحت سرپرستی در معرض خطر بالاتری از نیازهای گفتار، زبان و ارتباط (SLCN) قرار دارند. با این حال، وجود چندین عامل نامطلوب همزمان باعث می‌شود که SLCN در این گروه اغلب نادیده گرفته شود. بنابراین، بهبود درک آسیب‌پذیری SLCN در میان کودکان تحت سرپرستی برای اطلاع‌رسانی مداخلات هدفمند و حمایت از پیامدهای آموزشی و روان‌اجتماعی مثبت‌تر اهمیت دارد. در مطالعه حاضر، شیوع SLCN در میان کودکان تحت سرپرستی و ارتباط آن با پیشرفت تحصیلی و رشد اجتماعی‌ـ‌هیجانی همان‌گونه که در رویه‌های معمول ثبت شده است، مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. یک تحلیل ثانویه با استفاده از داده‌های جمع‌آوری‌شده به طور روتین که در پایگاه داده یک مرجع محلی در یکی از مناطق شهری جنوب‌شرق انگلستان ثبت شده بود، انجام شد. گروه واجد شرایط شامل ۱۴۱ کودک ۵ تا ۱۴ ساله ساکن در مراقبت خارج از خانه بود که از این میان، داده‌های غربالگری زبان برای ۷۸ نفر در دسترس بود. ابزارهای اندازه‌گیری شامل پیشرفت تحصیلی در زبان انگلیسی، ریاضیات و علوم، همراه با عملکرد اجتماعی‌ـ‌هیجانی و رفتاری که با استفاده از پرسشنامه Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ارزیابی شد، بودند. چهل‌ویک درصد از نمونه دارای SLCN بودند. مشکلات در چندین حوزه از جمله یافتن واژه، آغاز و حفظ مکالمه و روابط با همسالان مشاهده شد. تحلیل‌ها ارتباط معناداری بین SLCN، پیشرفت تحصیلی پایین‌تر و پیامدهای اجتماعی‌ـ‌هیجانی ضعیف‌تر نشان دادند. این یافته‌ها شواهد اولیه‌ای در سطح گروهی از شیوع و پیچیدگی بالاتر SLCN در میان کودکان تحت سرپرستی و ارتباط آن با پیامدهای آموزشی و اجتماعی‌ـ‌هیجانی ارائه می‌دهد. این نتایج بر نیاز به پاسخ‌های هماهنگ بالینی، آموزشی و سیاست‌گذاری تأکید می‌کند. این موارد شامل بهبود شناسایی SLCN چندوجهی و ارجاع به موقع به خدمات گفتاردرمانی و زبان‌درمانی برای حمایت از پیامدهای عادلانه‌تر برای کودکان تحت سرپرستی است.