title: Symptoms of ADHD and academic concerns in college students with and without ADHD diagnoses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous research has found ADHD symptoms to be common in the general population but has not compared endorsement of symptoms between ADHD and non-ADHD groups. This study examines self-reported ADHD symptoms and academic complaints in college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students without (n = 496) and with ADHD (n = 38) completed a questionnaire covering the 18 ADHD symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and academic and test-taking concerns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students with ADHD diagnoses reported significantly more ADHD symptoms and academic concerns, but none of the 18 symptoms or 6 concerns proved to be both sensitive and specific to ADHD. Poor specificity of symptoms and academic complaints casts doubt on the utility of this self-reported information in diagnosis, particularly if used alone and without regard to severity or extent of impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. ljlewand@syr.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lewandowski
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lovett
authors.forename: Robin S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Codding
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires