Dowdy, E., Furlong, M. J., Nylund-Gibson, K., Moore, S., & Moffa, K. (2018). Initial Validation of the Social Emotional Distress Survey–Secondary to Support Complete Mental Health Screening. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 43(4), 241-248.
Dowdy, E., Furlong, M. J., Nylund-Gibson, K., Arch, D., Hinton, T., & Carter, D. (2022). Validating a Brief Student Distress Measure for Schoolwide Wellness Surveillance. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 48(3), 159-169.
In its initial version, the SEDS-S included 10 items, each addressing emotions and experiences related to sadness and anxiety. The studies listed below demonstrate that this 10-item version shows evidence of being a unidimensional skill, with acceptable validity and reliability. This scale is a valuable tool in school settings and is especially beneficial for research on children's mental health.
We developed a 10-item version of the SEDS-S, but recognize the need for a shorter, more adaptable scale for population-based assessments or surveillance of school-based mental health. While the 10-item scale is effective for universal mental health screenings and surveys, a briefer version offers several advantages. A validated shorter scale would provide greater flexibility in the types of questions included in universal screening surveys while reducing the survey burden on students.