Skinner Donald, Sharp Carla, Marais Lochner, Serekoane Motsaathebe, Lenka Molefi
Research on Health and Society, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa.
Department of Psychology, University of Houston.
Int J Ment Health. 2014;43(4):76-89. doi: 10.1080/00207411.2015.1009314. Epub 2015 Apr 30.
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a robust, powerful and internationally recognised diagnostic screening tool for emotional and behaviour problems among children, with the particular advantage that it can be used by non-health professionals. This makes it useful in a South African context characterized by shortages of professional mental health carers. However the cultural and contextual acceptability and potential uses of the SDQ have not yet been examined in the South African context.
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the acceptability of the SDQ in a Sesotho speaking area of South Africa. As part of a larger study to standardise the SDQ for use among Sotho speakers, teachers were asked to use the tool to assess learners in their class. Ten teachers were then asked to write a report on their experience of the SDQ and how useful and applicable they found it for their school setting. These findings were discussed at two later meetings with larger groupings of teachers. Reports were analysed using a modified contextualised interpretative content analysis method.
Teachers found the SDQ very useful in the classroom and easy to administer and understand. They found it contextually relevant and particularly useful in gaining an understanding of the learners and the challenges that learners were facing. It further allowed them to differentiate between scholastic and emotional problems, assisting them in developing relationships with the pupils and facilitating accurate referrals. There were very few concerns raised, with the major problem being that it was difficult to assess items concerning contexts outside of the school setting. The teachers expressed interest in obtaining further training in the interpretation of the SDQ and a greater understanding of diagnostic labels so as to assist their learners.
The SDQ was found to be acceptable and useful in the context of this very disadvantaged community. The teachers felt it assisted them in their role as teachers by providing a greater understanding of emotional and behaviour problems among learners. However, lack of places for referral and their own lack of appropriate skills and time did generate frustration.
优势与困难问卷（SDQ）是一种强大且国际认可的用于筛查儿童情绪和行为问题的诊断工具，其特殊优势在于非健康专业人员也可使用。这使其在心理健康专业护理人员短缺的南非背景下很有用。然而，SDQ在南非背景下的文化和情境可接受性及潜在用途尚未得到研究。
本研究的目的是评估SDQ在南非一个讲塞索托语地区的可接受性。作为将SDQ标准化以便在讲索托语者中使用的一项更大规模研究的一部分，教师被要求使用该工具评估他们班级中的学习者。然后，十名教师被要求撰写一份关于他们使用SDQ的经验以及他们认为该工具在学校环境中的有用性和适用性的报告。这些结果在随后与更多教师群体举行的两次会议上进行了讨论。报告采用了经过修改的情境化解释性内容分析方法进行分析。
教师们发现SDQ在课堂上非常有用，易于实施和理解。他们发现它与情境相关，尤其有助于了解学习者以及学习者所面临的挑战。它还使他们能够区分学业问题和情绪问题，有助于他们与学生建立关系并促进准确的转介。提出的担忧很少，主要问题是难以评估与学校环境之外的情境相关的项目。教师们表示有兴趣获得关于SDQ解释的进一步培训以及对诊断标签有更深入的理解，以便帮助他们的学习者。
在这个非常贫困的社区背景下，SDQ被认为是可接受且有用的。教师们认为它通过帮助更好地理解学习者的情绪和行为问题，辅助了他们作为教师的角色。然而，缺乏转介地点以及他们自身缺乏适当的技能和时间确实产生了挫败感。
