Parent-Report Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for Italian Preschoolers: Psychometric Properties and Evidence for Underlying Executive Functioning

Abstract

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) assesses children’s emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Italian SDQ-Parents version (SDQ-P) in a sample of 458 children aged 3 to 5 years. Specifically, we analyzed the factorial structure and measurement invariance across gender and age, provided descriptive mean scores for typically developing children, and explored associations with executive functioning (EF). The parents completed the SDQ-P, and a questionnaire assessing five executive functions. The confirmatory factor analyses did not support the original five-factor model; instead, a four-factor structure, excluding the Conduct Problems scale, showed better fit. Measurement invariance was confirmed across gender and age. SDQ difficulties were positively associated with executive impairments across EF domains. Regression analyses revealed distinct EF profiles underlying each SDQ-P dimension.