ORIGINAL ARTICLE Assessment of psychosocial problems in children with type 1 diabetes and their families: the added value of using standardised questionnaires in addition to clinical estimations of nurses and paediatricians Emiel A Boogerd, Anouk MA Damhuis, Jani € elle (A)AEM van Alfen-van der Velden, Marley CCH Steeghs, Cees Noordam, Chris M Verhaak and Ignace PR Vermaes Aims and objectives. To investigate the assessment of psychosocial problems in children with type 1 diabetes by means of clinical estimations made by nurses and paediatricians and by using standardised questionnaires. Background. Although children with type 1 diabetes and their parents show increased risk for psychosocial problems, standardised assessment of these prob- lems lacks in diabetes care. Design. By comparing these different modes of assessment, using a cross-sectional design, information about the additional value of using standardised question- naires is provided. Methods. Participants were 110 children with type 1 diabetes (aged 4–16), their parents, and healthcare professionals. Children filled out the Strengths and Diffi- culties Questionnaire and the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Diabetes Mod- ule. Parents filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire parent-report and the Parenting Stress Index. Independently, nurses and paediatricians filled out a short questionnaire, which assessed their clinical estimations of the children’s psychosocial problems and quality of life, and parents’ levels of parenting stress. Reports of children and parents were compared to clinical estimations. Results. Children in our sample showed more psychosocial problems and lower health-related quality of life than their healthy peers. In approximately half of the children, dichotomous estimations by healthcare professionals and dichotomised reports by patients and parents were in agreement. In 10% of the children, no psychosocial problems were present according to professionals’ estimations, What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community?  Children with type 1 diabetes show more psychosocial prob- lems than healthy children.  In half of the investigated cases, standardised questionnaires pro- vided nurses and paediatricians with additional information on patients’ and parents’ psychoso- cial problems.  Using validated questionnaires in psychosocial assessment is expected to be of additional value in tailoring and allocating additional care to those patients and parents who need it most. Authors: Emiel A Boogerd, MSc, PhD Student, Children’s Dia- betes Center Nijmegen and Department of Psychology, Rad- boud university medical center, Nijmegen; Anouk MA Damhuis, MSc, Junior Clinical Psychologist, Children’s Diabe- tes Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Department of Paediatric Psy- chology, Tilburg University, Tilburg and Department of Psychology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen; Jani€ elle AAEM van Alfen-van der Velden, PhD, Paediatric Endocrinolo- gist, Children’s Diabetes Center Nijmegen and Department of Paediatrics, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen; Marley CCH Steeghs, MSc, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Chil- dren’s Diabetes Center Nijmegen and Department of Psychol- ogy, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen; Cees Noordam, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Diabetes Center Nijme- gen and Department of Paediatrics, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen; Chris M Verhaak, PhD, Assistant Professor and Senior Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen; Ignace PR Vermaes, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatric Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg and Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Correspondence: Emiel A Boogerd, PhD Student, Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud university medical center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Telephone: +31 (0) 24 3655232. E-mail: emiel.boogerd@radboudumc.nl © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Journal of Clinical Nursing, doi: 10.1111/jocn.12789 1