The present study examines the psychometric properties of the German version of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ-deu, self-rating) in 961 children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Internal consistency was satisfactory to high. Associations with other clinical instruments point in the expected direction and support the external validity of the SRQ-deu. A confirmatory factor analysis largely supported the 4-factor structure generated by the German version of the SRQ (SRQ-deu).

Sibling relationships wherein at least one sibling suffers from a mental disorder have seldom been studied. The few existing studies found that children with mental disorders reported high levels of disputes within sibling relationships as well as less parental support and admiration. The aim of the present study was to examine the quality of sibling relationships in children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis (clinical sample [CS]) as compared to an age and gender matched healthy control group (HC). One hundred fifty-six children and adolescents (nCS = 78/nHC = 78) between 8 and 18 years of age were recruited. The CS consisted of patients recruited from the daycare facility and inpatient unit of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin. HC was matched by gender, sibling position, and age. Quality of sibling relationships was examined using the German version of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ-deu, self-report). Additionally, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 4–18) was implemented in the CS to enable a classification into externalizing, internalizing, and combined disorders. The CS sample reported a warmer sibling relationship compared to the HC sample. Conflict within the sibling relationship differed significantly between participants with internalizing, externalizing, and combined disorders. Relevance of sibling relationships as a possible resource for children and adolescents with a mental illness is discussed.

The SRQ-deu assesses the quality of sibling relationships from either the perspective of the child (self-report version) or of the parent (parent-report version). Its validity has been demonstrated in a first examination 6. Normative data, however, are not yet available. Hence, the current study presents normative data for the SRQ-deu self-report version based on a sample of 961 German children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years. The effects of age and sibling status (younger/older sibling) are taken into account. This publication of normative data for children and adolescents allows for the SRQ-deu (self-report) to be used in different contexts, both for clinical and research purposes.

The existence of a sibling is not per se a protective factor. Only children do not show more signs of emotional stress than children with siblings.