The validation of the self‐report S trengths and D ifficulties Q uestionnaire for use by 6‐ to 10‐year‐old children in the UK

Objective To examine the factor structure of the self‐report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ( SDQ ) for data from a sample of British children aged 6–10 years. Method The self‐report SDQ was administered to 900 children aged 6–10 years via interviews with trained counsellors. Results Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses showed that a two‐factor solution comprising ‘externalizing and peer problems’ and ‘internalizing problems’ fit the data well for both the 6‐ to 7‐ and 8‐ to 10‐year‐old samples. The factors were correlated in both samples. Conclusions Children between 6 and 10 years of age provided meaningful SDQ data. The identified two‐factor model maps broadly onto the constructs of externalizing and internalizing behaviour. Practitioner points The findings suggest that children in the United Kingdom younger than 11 years of age are able to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), providing practitioners with a picture of a child's insight and understanding of their problems. The findings show that, with children aged 6–10 years, the self‐report SDQ provides information about two factors that map broadly onto the constructs of externalizing and internalizing behaviour. This study is the first in the United Kingdom to examine the self‐report SDQ in young children, adding weight to an emerging literature base. To support understanding in very young children, the self‐report SDQ should to be delivered via interview, so that self‐descriptions are appropriate to the child's developmental level.