Evaluate the effectiveness of the Strengths and Difficulties Essay

Evaluate the effectiveness of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for measuring emotional andor behavioural difficulties in children or adolescents - Essay Example This paper is going to account for a survey conducted on the basis of particular objectives. The SDQ acts a psychometric tool to assess multifaceted academic as well as nonacademic parameters for defining the self. (Rush et al., p. 370) As a behavioural screening instrument, the SDQ has earned itself an international status by virtue of its effectiveness. Extensive research studies and surveys are carried out prior to an SDQ so that all probable measuring constructs are utilised to their fullest potential. The calculative scales include 1) Emotional symptoms, 2) Conduct problems, 3) Hyperactivity / Inattention, 4) Peer problems and 5) Prosocial behaviour. Generally all the 5 measuring components are taken into consideration for a thorough and result-oriented investigation. (Goodman, 1997) Departing from the broader context of SDQs, this assignment zooms on the inventories obtained and used for looking into behavioural difficulties in native Australian children. Quantitative analysis is generally preferred to quantitative scoring since the former approach incorporates more statistical data. The logic behind taking a huge quantity for an authentic and reliable result is that it nullifies the risk of errors in categorisation for scores that are just above and below the accepted cut-off parameter. For example, if the cut off point for a specific diagnosis is set as 15, any score just above and below 15 (such as 14 and 16) is... The indigenous grouping was preferred to random selection on the basis of social and psychological relatedness among the candidates. They were picked from urban areas and outskirts of Western Australia. (Western Australia Aboriginal Child Health Survey, 2007) The teacher report was designed as per the standardised measuring scale format, including the previously mentioned 25 psychological attributes. The teacher version of the questionnaire demonstrated credibility as far as representing the community sample is concerned, and it also identified different classes of disorders within the non-subjective sample. (Muris et al., 1-8) Based on the findings, the total Strength and Difficulties score arrayed from 0 to 40. Those who aggregated scores between 0 and 13 were classified into low risk category; those who aggregated scores between 14 and 16 were grouped under moderate risk and the rest scoring between 17 and 40 were reported to have high risk as far as emotional and/or behavioural difficulties was concerned. Needless to mention, the high risk category needed special clinical attention. In this project, scores obtained the first 4 of the 5 scales were amassed initially to measure the Strength and Difficulties sum score. The following table illustrates on this furthermore: SDQ Teacher Rated Score Sheet: Total Difficulties Score (25 Items) Emotional Symptoms Scale (Score Range 0-10) Not True Somewhat True Certainly True Score Often complains of headaches, stomach-aches Many worries, often seems worried Often unhappy, depressed or tearful Nervous or clingy in alien situation Many fears, easily scared Total= Conduct Problems Scale (Score Range 0-10) Not True Somewhat True Certainly True Score Often has temper tantrums or hot