title: Confirming the factor structure of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in college students using student and parent data.
abstract: This study used confirmatory factor analysis to compare one-, two-, and three-factor models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms to determine which model is the best fit for the data. Participants were 190 clinic-referred college students who had been evaluated for ADHD, 155 of whom had received a diagnosis. Data consisted of both self- and other (e.g., parent) ratings of both current and childhood symptoms. Symptoms came directly from the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD. A three-factor model, consistent with the DSM-III, was superior for current and childhood symptoms, regardless of rater (i.e., self or parent). The primary implication for these findings is that there may be a viable Impulsive subtype of ADHD within the adult population. Further research might include a closer examination of the unique functional limitations associated with impulsivity, as well as the development of diagnostic items that maximize model fit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University, USA. proctor@coe.fsu.edu
authors.forename: Briley E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prevatt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012650:Self Disclosure; D055815:Young Adult