Properties of the teacher-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Dysregulation Profile in Italian preschoolers

Early identification of emotional and behavioural difficulties is necessary to promote children’s well-being. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a widely used screening tool for assessing Emotional Symptoms, Peer Problems, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, and Prosocial Behaviour. The scores of 5 or 15 items can also be combined to measure the Dysregulation Profile (SDQ-DP). Few studies have explored the psychometric properties of the SDQ and SDQ-DPs teacher-report in Italian samples, and none have focused exclusively on preschool age. The current study aimed to fill this gap in a sample of 842 Italian preschoolers (mean age: 5.05 years) by testing factor structures, scale reliability and the association with relevant variables (e.g. internalizing and externalizing problems, emotion regulation, temperamental dimensions, and social preference). Results showed that a modified 5-factor solution better fitted the SDQ, while a bifactor model best represented the SDQ- DP 15-item. The 5-item version of the SDQ-DP did not show acceptable fit. The reliabilities were generally good, except for the Peer Problems scale. Despite some issues related to the SDQ and SDQ-DP factor structures, the findings provided partial support for their use in capturing important dimensions of children’s behavioural and regulatory difficulties, as evidenced by acceptable reliability and associations with external variables.