Diagnosing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in college students: an investigation of the impact of informant ratings on diagnosis and subjective impairment.
OBJECTIVE
Formal criteria for the use informant-ratings of adult ADHD symptoms have not been established yet they are commonplace in standard assessment batteries.


METHODS
The current study explores the relationship between self- and informant-ratings and the impact of requiring interrater agreement in a sample comprised of 190 self-referred college students.


RESULTS
Participants self-reported higher childhood and current symptoms scores and current impairment scores than informants. Similarities were evident between diagnostic groups who met ADHD criteria by self-report only and by both sources when considering the number of self-reported settings of impairment. Diagnostic groups who met criteria by informant-report only and by both sources were similar when considering informant-reported settings of impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants who meet criteria for ADHD based on one source endorse a similar number of settings of impairment as participants who meet criteria for ADHD by both sources. The implications for the use of informant-ratings are presented.
Florida State University, Florida, USA. nhk04@fsu.edu
Nolan
N
Katz
Yaacov
Y
Petscher
Theresa
T
Welles
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities