Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
How a child or teen is doing across emotions, behavior, attention, and relationships
How is your child or teen really doing at home, in school, and with friends? The SDQ screens for emotional problems, conduct issues, hyperactivity, peer problems, and prosocial behavior. 25 items, about 10 minutes.
What Does the SDQ Measure?
The SDQ looks at how a child or teenager is doing across five areas -- emotions, behavior, attention, relationships with peers, and prosocial strengths. Robert Goodman designed it in the late 1990s to be shorter than the Rutter questionnaires and to also measure strengths alongside difficulties. That combination is why it caught on.
Clinicians and schools use it. So do researchers. It comes in three versions (self-report for ages 11-17, parent form, and teacher form). This is the self-report version.
Five Scales
The 25 items split into 5 subscales of 5 items each:
| Scale | What It Measures | Example Item |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Symptoms | Anxiety, worry, fearfulness | "I have many fears, I am easily scared" |
| Conduct Problems | Lying, fighting, stealing, temper | "I get very angry and often lose my temper" |
| Hyperactivity/Inattention | Restlessness, concentration, fidgeting | "I am restless, I cannot stay still for long" |
| Peer Problems | Loneliness, being liked, bullying | "Other people my age generally like me" (reverse) |
| Prosocial Behavior | Kindness, sharing, helpfulness | "I try to be nice to other people" |
How Scoring Works
Each item is rated on a 3-point scale: Not True (0), Somewhat True (1), or Certainly True (2). Five items (7, 11, 14, 21, 25) are reverse-scored.
Bandings (self-report, ages 11-17):
| Scale | Normal | Borderline | Abnormal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emotional Symptoms | 0-5 | 6 | 7-10 |
| Conduct Problems | 0-3 | 4 | 5-10 |
| Hyperactivity/Inattention | 0-5 | 6 | 7-10 |
| Peer Problems | 0-3 | 4-5 | 6-10 |
| Prosocial Behavior | 6-10 | 5 | 0-4 |
| Total Difficulties | 0-15 | 16-19 | 20-40 |
Important: The SDQ is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. It gives an initial picture of how a young person is doing -- not a clinical label. Scores above cutoff should be followed up with a comprehensive evaluation.
Why It Is Widely Used
Three reasons. First, it is short -- 25 items takes about 5-10 minutes. Second, it covers both difficulties and strengths (the prosocial scale is genuinely useful, not just filler). Third, the normative data is solid: Goodman original 1997 paper and later UK norming studies (2000) established reliable cutoffs, and subsequent cross-cultural work has held up reasonably well.
Limitations
The SDQ relies on self-report (or parent/teacher report) and is subject to the usual biases. It does not capture every aspect of child mental health -- for example, it does not include eating disorders or specific phobias. It is a starting point, not a complete picture.
References
- Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. *Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry*, 38(5), 581-586.
- Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. *Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*, 40(11), 1337-1345.
Scoring Guide
5 subscales. Total difficulties = first 4 sum (0-40).Result Interpretation
After completing the 25 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Dimension breakdown — separate scores for each sub-scale
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.