Trial reportPloS one2019
The validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for children with ADHD symptoms.
Trial report in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- How do the measurement properties of the broad-band scales for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children perform based on the COSMIN guidelines?BMC pediatrics · 2026Pooled it
- A clinical assessment of the therapeutic effects of Ashwagandha root extract on cognitive performance, sleep, and fatigue in children aged 6-12 years.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes of school-age children conceived after hysterosalpingography with oil-based or water-based iodinated contrast: long-term follow-up of a nationwide randomized controlled trial.Human reproduction (Oxford, England) · 2024Trial
- Screen Media Use and Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- Single-dose effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on functional connectivity during an n-back task in boys with ADHD.Psychopharmacology · 2023Trial
- The effect of vitamin D and magnesium supplementation on the mental health status of attention-deficit hyperactive children: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pediatrics · 2021Trial
- Measurement Equivalence of an ADHD Screening Tool Across Diverse Racial and Ethnic Children.Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · 2026Article
- Discrepancies in perceptions of emotional and behavioral problems between adolescents and caregivers: a latent profile analysis from the SEARCH study.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Article
- Suicidal Ideation and Non-suicidal Self-injury in Early Adolescence: The Role of ADHD Symptoms, Affect, and Emotion Regulation.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2026Article
- Childhood adversity and trajectories of health and quality of life in Australian children and adolescents: a latent class analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Voices of change: associations between vocal markers and symptoms of ADHD - Findings from the LIFE child study.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Comorbidity of asthma and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in childhood: causal, shared early-life risk factors, or shared genetic liability?International journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Maternal thyroid function in the first half of pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early adolescence in the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) cohort.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2026Article
- Article
- Article
- Challenges in diagnosing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in pediatric practice: A regional and global perspective.World journal of clinical pediatrics · 2025Review
- The Long-Term Impact of ADHD on Children and Adolescents' Health-Related Quality of Life: Results From a Longitudinal Population-Based Australian Study.Journal of attention disorders · 2025Article
- Sleep Quality as a Mediator of Internet Gaming Disorder and Executive Dysfunction in Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Neighborhood opportunity and residential instability: associations with mental health in middle childhood.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is widely used to assess child and adolescent mental health problems. However, the factor structure of the SDQ is subject to debate and there is limited evidence investigating measurement equivalence invariance (ME/I) between treatment groups, informants, and across time.
methodA randomised controlled trial (RCT) recruited 250 participants (6-17 years) who had been referred for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment. Participants and their clinician either received or did not receive a QbTest report (computer task measuring attention, impulsivity and activity). Parents and teachers completed the SDQ at baseline and 6-months later. This study aimed to understand the factor structure of the SDQ in a clinic referred ADHD sample, and validate the scale as a screening/diagnostic aide and as a measure of treatment outcome both in clinical and research settings. Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM) was performed to examine the factor structure, and ME/I was assessed between treatment groups, informants, and time points. The criterion validity of the SDQ predictive algorithm for ADHD was compared with clinician and research diagnoses using logistic regression and tests of diagnostic accuracy.
resultsA 5-factor structure provided the best fit with strong factorial invariance between treatment groups and across time points, but not across informants (parent and teacher ratings). SDQ ratings of 'probable' hyperactivity disorder were good predictors of clinical (OR = 10.20, 95%CI 2.18-48.71,p = 0.003) and research diagnoses of ADHD (OR = 6.82, 95%CI 1.95-23.84,p = 0.003), and research diagnoses of Hyperkinetic disorder (OR = 4.02, 95%CI 1.13-14.25,p = 0.031). Further examination of the SDQ hyperactivity 'probable' rating showed good specificity (84.5%-74.5%) but poor sensitivity (45.0-42.5%) for ADHD.
conclusionThe findings indicate the SDQ is a valid outcome measure for use in RCTs and clinical settings. However, care should be taken when using the SDQ predictive algorithm to screen for ADHD in clinically referred samples.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.