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Psychiatry International
Volume 7
Issue 2
10.3390/psychiatryint7020066
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Article

Analyzing Mental Health Difficulties in Adults: New Evidence About the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

by
Gloria Tomás-Gallego
,
Esther Gargallo-Ibort
,
Josep María Dalmau-Torres
and
Javier Ortuño-Sierra
*
Department of Educational Sciences, University of La Rioja, 26002 Logroño, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7(2), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020066
Submission received: 20 September 2025 / Revised: 23 January 2026 / Accepted: 26 February 2026 / Published: 17 March 2026
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has largely been used in adolescents to screen for mental health difficulties and prosocial capabilities. The objective is to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the SDQ in university students. Methods: This work included a large sample (N = 1256), 64.6% women with a mean age of 22.96 years (SD = 6.15). Results: The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a six-factor solution was the most tenable. The study of measurement invariance (MI) revealed strong measurement invariance both by gender and age. The study of relations with other variables indicated that the SDQ subscales were statistically significantly correlated with indicators of self-esteem, emotional well-being, stress, and emotional regulation. Finally, the internal consistency of the scores for the Total Difficulties Score was 0.763. Conclusions: These results allow confirming the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the SDQ for its use in university students.
Keywords: university students; SDQ; measurement invariance; factorial structure; evidences of validity; psychometrics; Spanish version university students; SDQ; measurement invariance; factorial structure; evidences of validity; psychometrics; Spanish version

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tomás-Gallego, G.; Gargallo-Ibort, E.; Dalmau-Torres, J.M.; Ortuño-Sierra, J. Analyzing Mental Health Difficulties in Adults: New Evidence About the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7, 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020066

AMA Style

Tomás-Gallego G, Gargallo-Ibort E, Dalmau-Torres JM, Ortuño-Sierra J. Analyzing Mental Health Difficulties in Adults: New Evidence About the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Psychiatry International. 2026; 7(2):66. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020066

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tomás-Gallego, Gloria, Esther Gargallo-Ibort, Josep María Dalmau-Torres, and Javier Ortuño-Sierra. 2026. "Analyzing Mental Health Difficulties in Adults: New Evidence About the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire" Psychiatry International 7, no. 2: 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020066

APA Style

Tomás-Gallego, G., Gargallo-Ibort, E., Dalmau-Torres, J. M., & Ortuño-Sierra, J. (2026). Analyzing Mental Health Difficulties in Adults: New Evidence About the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Psychiatry International, 7(2), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020066

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