Validation of the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for adolescents
Sammanfattning
Background: The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS) is a widely used
diagnostic tool for assessment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in clinical
psychiatry in Sweden. The ASRS consists of 18 questions, the first six of which can be used as a
short screening version (ASRS-S). There is a version for adolescents-ASRS-Adolescent (ASRS-A)-and
the corresponding screening version (ASRS-A-S), which has not been validated to date. Aim: The aim
was to validate the ASRS-A and the ASRS-A-S for use in adolescent clinical populations. Methods:
Adolescent psychiatric outpatients (n = 134, mean age 15 years, 40% boys) reported on the ASRS-A,
and were interviewed with the Kiddie Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS), a
semi-structured interview, together with a parent. Results: Internal consistency was 0.79 for the
ASRS-A-S and 0.92 for the ASRS-A (Cronbach's alpha). Internal consistency values were 0.79 and 0.87
for the inattention subscale, and 0.68 and 0.89 for the hyperactivity subscale, respectively.
Concurrent validity values, measured with Spearman's correlation coefficient, between the total K-
SADS ADHD symptom severity score and the sum of ASRS-A-S and ASRS-A total scores were 0.51
and 0.60, respectively. Psychometric properties of the ASRS-A-S and the ASRS-A were: sensitivity
74% and 79%; negative predictive value 81% and 84%; specificity 59% and 60%; and positive
predictive value 49% and 51%, respectively. Both versions showed better properties for girls than for
boys. Conclusion: Both the ASRS-A-S and the ASRS-A showed promising psychometric properties for
use in adolescent clinical populations.