Scoring the Informant-Rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire The 25 items in the SDQ comprise 5 scales of S items each. It is usually easiest to score all 5 scales first before working out the total difficulties score. Somewhat True is always scored as 1, but the scoring of Not Tre and Certainly True varies with the item, as shown below scale by scale. For each of the 5 scales the score can range from 0 to 10 ifall S items were completed. Scale score can be prorated if at least 3 items were completed Emotional Symptoms Se Not Somewhat Certainly True True True Often complains of headaches, stomach-aches 0 1 2 Many worries, often seems worried 0 1 2 (Often unhappy, downhearted or tearful ° 1 2 Nervous or clingy in new situations 0 1 2 Many fears, easily scared 0 1 2 Conduct Problems Seale Not Somewhat Certainly rue Ime True (Often has temper tantrums or hot tempers 0 H 2 Generally obedient, usually does what 2 1 0 Often fights with other chikéren or bullies them ° 1 2 Often lies or cheats ° 1 2 Steals from home, school or elsewhere 0 1 2 Hyperactivity Seale Not Somewhat Certainly True True True Restless, overactive, cannot stay still for long 0 H 2 Constantly fidgeting or squirming 0 1 2 Easily distracted, concentration wanders ° 1 2 ‘Thinks things out before acting 2 1 0 Sees tasks through to the end, good attention span A 1 ° Peer Problems Seale Not Somewhat Certainly True True True Rather solitary, tends to play alone 0 1 2 Has at least one good friend 2 1 ° Generally liked by other children 2 1 o Picked on or bullied by other children 0 1 2 Gets on better with adults than with other children 0 1 2 Prosocial Seale Not Somewhat Certainly True True True Considerate of other people's feelings 0 1 2 Shares readily with other children 0 1 2 Helpful if someone is hurt, upset of feeling ill 0 1 2 Kind to younger children ° 1 2 ‘Often volunteers to help others 0 H 2 The Total Difficulties Seore: is generated hy summing the scores from all the scales except the prosocial scale, The resultant seore can range from 0 to 40 (and is counted as missing if one of the component scores is missing).Interpreting Symptom Scores and Defining "Caseness" from Symptom Scores Alhough SDQ scores can often be used as continuous varlables, it fs sometimes convenient {0 clasity scores as normal, borderline and abnormal. Using the bandings shown below, an abnormal score on one or both of the total difficulties scores can be used to ideutfy likely “vases” wilh mental health disorders, This is clearly only a rough- and ready method for detecting disorders — combining information from SDQ symptom and impact scores from ‘multiple informants is beter, but ail far fom perfect. Appronimatcly 10% of a community sample scores in the abnormal band on any given score, with a further 10% scoring in the borderline band. The exact proportions vary according to country, age and gender ~ normative SDQ data are available from the web site. You may want to adjust banding and caseness criteria for these characteristics, setting the threshold higher when avoiding false positives i¢ of paramount importance, and seting the threshold lower when avoiding false negatives is more important. Normal Borde Abnormal Parent Completed Total Difficulties Seore 0-13 14-16 17-40 Emotional Symptoms Score 0-3 4 5-10 ‘Conduct Problems Score 0-2 3 4-10 Hyperactivity Score 0-5 6 7-10 Peer Problems Score 0-2 3 4-10 Prosocial Behaviour Score 6-10 5 0-4 Teacher Completed Total Difficulties Score veut 1-15 16-40 Emotional Symptoms Score 0-4 5 6-10 ‘Conduct Problems Score 0-2 3 4-10 Hyperactivity Seore o-s 6 7-10 oor Problems Score 0-3 4 5-10 Prosocial Behaviour Score 6-10 5 0-4 Generating and Interpreting Impact Seores ‘When using a version of the SDQ that includes an “Impact Supplement", the items on overall distress and social impairment can be summed to generate an impact score that ranges from 0 to 10 for the parent completed version and from 0-6 forthe teacher-completed version Not Only a Quite A great atall little alot deal Parent report Difficulties upset or distress child 0 0 1 2 Interfere with HOME LIFE, 0 0 1 2 Interfere with FRIENDSHIPS ° ° 1 2 Interfere with CLASSROOM LEARNING 0 0 1 2 Interfere with LEISURE ACTIVITIES 0 0 1 2 Veacher report Difficulties upset or distress child 0 ° 1 2 Interfere with PEER RELATIONSHIPS 0 0 1 2 Interfere with CLASSROOM LEARNING 0 0 1 2 Responses to the questions on chronicity and burden to others are not included in the impact score. When respondents have anewered "no" tothe first question onthe impact supplement (i.e, when they do ua perceive the child as having any emotional or behavioural dificulties), they are not asked to complete the questions on resultant, distress or impairment; the impact score is automatically seored zero in these circumstances. Although the impact scores can be used as continuous variables, it is sometimes convenient to classify them es normal, borderline or abnormal: a total impact score of 2 or more is abnormal; a score of | is borderline; and a score of 0 is normal.