title: Validation of the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for adolescents.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the ASRS-A-S and the ASRS-A showed promising psychometric properties for use in adolescent clinical populations.
authors.affiliation: Karin Sonnby, M.D., Ph.D., Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Västmanlands County Hospital , SE 721 89 Västerås , Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonnby
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skordas
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olofsdotter
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vadlin
authors.forename: Kent W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramklint
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013548:Sweden; D014944:World Health Organization
keywords: Adolescent; Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Validation study