The SDQ Scoring Guide provides guidance on scoring responses to STOMACHE, WORRIED, UNHAPPY, CLINGY, and FEARFUL to generate an emotional subscale score ranging from 0 to 10. Under these guidelines, the response "not true" is given a score of 0; a response of "somewhat true" is given a score of 1; and a response of "certainly true" is given a score of 2. Summing the five individual scores yields a total emotional problems subscale score between 0 and 10.

According to the SDQ Scoring Guide, the emotional problems subscale score can be used as a continuous variable, but it is sometimes convenient to classify it into broader categories for easier interpretation of results. Under the original three-band categorization, total emotional subscale scores can be identified as normal, borderline, or abnormal: a total score of 0-3 is normal; a score of 4 is borderline; and a score of 5-10 is abnormal. Under the newer four-band categorization, total scores can be identified as close to average, slightly raised, high, or very high: a total score of 0-3 is close to average; a score of 4 is slightly raised; a score of 5-6 is high; and a score of 7-10 is very high.

In the NHIS, respondents were given a code of 98 ("Not ascertained-more than two responses missing") if more than two of the five component variables of the emotional subscale score had responses of "don't know," "refused," or "not ascertained."

NHIS began offering SDQEMOT in 2019. IPUMS NHIS staff constructed SDQEMOT for 2001, 2003, and 2004 using the conventions outlined above.

The SDQ variables can be used to generate four other subscale scores and a total SDQ score:

• SDQCOND: Conduct problems subscale score

• SDQHYPE: Hyperactivity subscale score

• SDQPEER: Peer problems subscale score

• SDQPROS: Prosocial subscale score

• SDQTOT: Total score