BACKGROUND: Child psychiatric disorders are common and treatable, but often go undetected and therefore remain untreated. AIMS: To assess the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a potential means for improving the detection of child psychiatric disorders in the community. METHOD: SDQ predictions and independent psychiatric diagnoses were compared in a community sample of 7984 5- to 15-year-olds from the 1999 British Child Mental Health Survey. RESULTS: Multi-informant (parents, teachers, older children) SDQs identified individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis with a specificity of 94.6% (95% Cl 94.1-95.1%) and a sensitivity of 63.3% (59.7-66.9%). The questionnaires identified over 70% of individuals with conduct, hyperactivity, depressive and some anxiety disorders, but under 50% of individuals with specific phobias, separation anxiety and eating disorders. Sensitivity was substantially poorer with single-informant rather than multi-informant SDQs. CONCLUSIONS: Community screening programmes based on multi-informant SDQs could potentially increase the detection of child psychiatric disorders, thereby improving access to effective treatments.
BACKGROUND:Childpsychiatric disorders are common and treatable, but often go undetected and therefore remain untreated. AIMS: To assess the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a potential means for improving the detection of childpsychiatric disorders in the community. METHOD:SDQ predictions and independent psychiatric diagnoses were compared in a community sample of 7984 5- to 15-year-olds from the 1999 British Child Mental Health Survey. RESULTS: Multi-informant (parents, teachers, older children) SDQs identified individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis with a specificity of 94.6% (95% Cl 94.1-95.1%) and a sensitivity of 63.3% (59.7-66.9%). The questionnaires identified over 70% of individuals with conduct, hyperactivity, depressive and some anxiety disorders, but under 50% of individuals with specific phobias, separation anxiety and eating disorders. Sensitivity was substantially poorer with single-informant rather than multi-informant SDQs. CONCLUSIONS: Community screening programmes based on multi-informant SDQs could potentially increase the detection of childpsychiatric disorders, thereby improving access to effective treatments.
Authors: Ian Kelleher; Aileen Murtagh; Charlene Molloy; Sarah Roddy; Mary C Clarke; Michelle Harley; Mary Cannon Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2011-11-17 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Ricardo Eiraldi; Muniya Khanna; Abbas F Jawad; Thomas J Power; Jaclyn Cacia; Beatriz Cabello; Billie S Schwartz; Lauren Swift; Rebecca Kanine; Andrew Orapallo; Barry McCurdy; Jennifer A Mautone Journal: Evid Based Pract Child Adolesc Ment Health Date: 2020-07-22
Authors: Gabriele Kohlboeck; Marcel Romanos; Christina M Teuner; Rolf Holle; Carla M T Tiesler; Barbara Hoffmann; Beate Schaaf; Irina Lehmann; Olf Herbarth; Sibylle Koletzko; Carl-Peter Bauer; Andrea von Berg; Dietrich Berdel; Joachim Heinrich Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2013-12-11 Impact factor: 4.785