The main purpose of this study was to analyze the internal structure and measurement invariance across gender and age of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), self-reported version, in Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of 1,547 participants, 606 were male (39.1%), with a mean age of 15.15 years (SD = 1.99). Results from the confirmatory factor analysis showed a five-factor model and a bifactor model with correlated errors added as the most appropriate. Nevertheless, the bifactor model displayed lower and non-significant factor loadings. The hypothesis of measurement invariance of the SDQ scores across gender and age was supported. The level of internal consistency of the Total difficulties score was .84, ranging between .71 and .75 for the SDQ subscales. The study of the psychometric properties showed that the Spanish version of the SDQ, self-reported form, seems to be an adequate tool for the screening of emotional and behavioural problems during adolescence. Future research should analyze the internal structure of the SDQ in other regions and testing the measurement invariance across cultures.

The main purpose of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), self-reported version, in Spanish adolescents, introducing a five-point Likert response scale. The sample consisted of 1474 adolescents with a mean age of 15.92 years (SD ¼ 1.18). The level of internal consistency of the SDQ Total score was .75, ranging from .56 to .71 for the subscales. Results from exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure as the most satisfactory. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the five-factor model (with modifications) displayed better goodness of-fit indices than the other hypothetical dimensional models tested. Furthermore, strong measurement invariance by age and partial measurement invariance by gender was supported. The study of the psychometric properties confirms that the Spanish version of the SDQ, self-reported form, is a useful tool for the screening of emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents.

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Título: Patrones de dificultades emocionales y comportamentales durante la adolescencia: la influencia de las habilidades prosociales. Resumen: El objetivo principal del estudio fue examinar la distribución por clusters del Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ) y analizar el efecto del sexo y la edad, en una muestra de estudiantes pertenecientes a institutos, con edades entre 14 y 18 años (N = 1474). Para el análisis de los datos se realizó un análisis iterativo basado en el procedimiento de K-medias. Una solución de cinco clusters destacó como la más parsimoniosa para diferenciar patrones de síntomas emocionales y comportamentales. El modelo de cinco clusters reveló las siguientes agrupaciones: "ausencia de dificultades y altas puntuaciones prosociales" (n = 418; 28,36%), "altas puntuaciones en dificultades y bajas en comportamiento prosocial" (n = 239; 16,21%) , "altas puntuaciones en hiperactividad, bajo en el resto de las subescalas de dificultades y alto en capacidades prosociales" (n = 302; 20.49%), "alto en dificultades emocionales y de relación, bajo en dificultades conductuales y de hiperactividad y alto en capacidades prosociales" (n = 275; 18,66%), y finalmente "dificultades de hiperactividad y niveles medios en el resto de subescalas de dificultades y en las capacidades prosociales" (n= 239; 16,21%). Este modelo de cinco clusters fue replicado atendiendo al género y la edad. Sin embargo, las diferencias encontradas en la distribución de cada cluster sugieren que las dificultades difieren en función del género y de la edad. Los resultados permiten concluir la mayor presencia de dificultades de tipo externalizante en el caso de los hombres y mayores niveles de dificultades emocionales y capacidades prosociales en el caso de las mujeres. Palabras clave: adolescencia; análisis de clúster; SDQ; problemas emocionales y conductuales; prosocial. Abstract:The main purpose of the study was to examine the cluster composition of the analysis on the effect of gender and age of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in a large school-based sample of high school adolescents ranging from 14 to 18 years old (N = 1474). In order to do this, a K-means iterative cluster analysis was performed. A five-cluster solution turned out to be the most parsimonious in the differentiation of emotional and behavioural patterns. A five-cluster solution yielded the following patterns: "No difficulties and high prosocial scores" (n = 418; 28.36%), "high difficulties and low prosocial scores" (n = 239; 16.21%), "high on hyperactivity, low on the rest of the difficulties subscales, and high in prosocial capabilities" (n = 302; 20.49%), "high on emotional and peer problems, relatively low on conduct and hyperactivity, and high in prosocial capabilities" (n = 275; 18.66%), and finally "hyperactivity problems and average in the others difficulties subscales, and in prosocial capabilities" (n = 239; 16.21%). This cluster solution was replicated attending to the same gender and...