The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale: utility and reliability in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Background. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a debilitating condition that often persists into adulthood. The past number of decades an increased number of adults with ADHD have gained entrance into the post-secondary education section and register with college or university Disability Service Offices. There is a need to explore utility of affordable materials to gain confidence in validating the original diagnoses and potentially detect feigning. Methods. 135 college students (mean age = 24, 42% males) with ADHD were recruited from post-secondary institutions. The freely available Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) self-report was utilized to assess current ADHD symptomatology. The ASRS was compared to an interview (over the phone) and other-report version (filled out by a significant other) that were directly derived from the original Self-report. Results. Results showed moderate levels of congruency between ASRS-Self and Other Report (correlation = .47). Furthermore, a robust relationship was shown between the ASRS-Self and the interview version (correlation = .66). Discussion. Current findings suggest the telephone-interview version of the ASRS may be an easy-to-use, reliable, and cost-effective supplement in gaining more confidence in determining ADHD in post-secondary education students. More research is required specifically testing its merits to detect feigning or support in diagnosis.