Confirmatory factor analysis of adolescent self- and informant ratings of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Abstract

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used assessment instrument and is available in informant- and self-rated versions. This study aimed to assess the construct validity of the scale and estimate the correlations between informant and self-report scores using confirmatory factor analysis. The analysis was based on data from a sample of 202 primary and post-primary school pupils (42.3% males) with a mean age of 12.5 years. A confirmatory factor analytic model with the five-factor structure of the SDQ for both informant and self-report scores was specified and tested. Fit statistics indicated acceptable model fit. The findings suggest that SDQ possesses reasonable measurement properties for both the self-report and informant-rated versions.