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Table 2 Per SDQ version (self-reported, parent-reported), mean scale scores and standard deviations for male and female adolescents

From: Normative data for the self-reported and parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for ages 12–17

SDQ version

SDQ scale

Gender group

 

Females

% ‘abnormal’ a

Males

% ‘abnormal’

Total

% ‘abnormal’

M (SD)

UK b

Dutch c

M (SD)

UK

Dutch

M (SD)

UK

Dutch

Self-reported

Emotional

2.8 (2.3)

96.4

1.7 (1.8)

99.6

2.3 (2.1)

97.9

 

Conduct

1.2 (1.1)

99.4

1.5 (1.4)

98.7

1.3 (1.3)

99.1

 

Hyperactivity

3.5 (2.4)

92.8

3.8 (2.4)

91.4

3.7 (2.4)

92.1

 

Social

1.3 (1.5)

98.5

1.4 (1.6)

99.4

1.4 (1.6)

99.6

 

Prosocial

8.4 (1.4)

99.1

7.7 (1.7)

95.7

8.1 (1.6)

97.5

 

Externalizing

4.7 (3.1)

5.4 (3.2)

5.0 (3.1)

 

Internalizing

4.1 (3.2)

3.1 (2.8)

3.6 (3.1)

 

Total

8.7 (5.1)

97.2

8.5 (4.9)

97.6

8.6 (5.0)

97.4

Parent-reported

Emotional

2.0 (2.1)

93.6

89.3

1.7 (2.1)

93.0

87.8

1.9 (2.1)

93.3

88.6

Conduct

0.9 (1.2)

98.2

90.0

1.0 (1.5)

96.2

87.0

1.0 (1.4)

97.3

88.6

 

Hyperactivity

2.1 (2.3)

91.3

93.6

3.3 (2.6)

96.7

86.4

2.7 (2.5)

94.2

90.2

 

Social

1.3 (1.7)

94.1

94.1

1.7 (1.8)

90.1

90.1

1.5 (1.8)

92.3

92.3

 

Prosocial

8.5 (1.8)

95.7

86.4

8.1 (1.9)

93.9

81.7

8.3 (1.8)

94.8

84.2

 

Externalizing

3.0 (3.0)

94.4

4.4 (3.5)

87.5

3.7 (3.3)

91.2

 

Internalizing

3.3 (3.4)

90.5

3.4 (3.3)

87.5

3.4 (3.3)

89.1

 

Total

6.3 (5.3)

94.6

92.1

7.8 (5.8)

93.0

87.0

7.0 (5.6)

93.9

89.7

  1. SDQ Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
  2. aThe percentage of adolescents with SDQ scores that are considered ‘abnormal’ using b the UK [16, 19] cutoffs (not available for the externalizing and internalizing difficulties scales) and c the Dutch [24] cutoffs (not available for the SDQ self-reported version)