Validity and accuracy of the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) symptom checklists in discriminating between adults with and without ADHD.

Erlend Joramo Brevik,Maj‐Britt Posserud,Jan Haavik,Astri J Lundervold

doi:10.1002/brb3.1605

Abstract

ObjectiveTo validate the Adult ADHD Self‐Report Scale (ASRS) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) in a well‐characterized sample of adult attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and population controls.MethodsBoth the ASRS and the WURS were administered to clinically diagnosed adult ADHD patients (n = 646) and to population controls (n = 908). We performed principal component analyses (PCA) and calculated receiver operating curves (ROC) including area under the curve (AUC) for the full WURS and ASRS, as well as for the PCA generated factors and the ASRS short screener.ResultsWe found an AUC of 0.956 (95% CI: 0.946–0.965) for the WURS, and 0.904 (95% CI: 0.888–0.921) for the ASRS. The ASRS short screener had an AUC of 0.903 (95%CI: 0.886–0.920). Combining the two full scales gave an AUC of 0.964 (95% CI: 0.955–0.973). We replicated the two‐factor structure of the ASRS and found a three‐factor model for the WURS.ConclusionThe WURS and the ASRS both have high diagnostic accuracy. The short ASRS screener performed equally well as the full ASRS, whereas the WURS had the best discriminatory properties. The increased diagnostic accuracy may be due to the wider symptom range of the WURS and/or the retrospective childhood frame of symptoms.

Highlights

1.1 A brief history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) by its symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity
In Paper II we found that insomnia was far more frequent among adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (66.8%) than in a representative control sample (28.8%) (P < 0.001)
For self-reported current ADHD symptoms, inattention was strongly correlated to insomnia

Summary

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) by its symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Aggressiveness spans across numerous facets of human behavior, ranging from emotional lability and temperamental traits (e.g., hot-tempered, short fuse, irritable) to physical violence [Lesch et al, 2012] These traits are frequently found among youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common child and adolescent psychiatric disorder with a prevalence of about 5% and a rate of persistence into adulthood of about 50% [Faraone et al, 2015]. These disorders put youth with ADHD at high risk of problems associated with aggressiveness in adulthood [Klassen et al, 2010], especially when the aggressive behavior has an early onset [Hofvander et al, 2009]

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