The Value of Screening for Adults With ADHD & The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Symptom Checklist

Research suggests that the symptoms of ADHD can persist into adulthood, having a significant impact on the relationships, careers, and even the personal safety of patients who may suffer from it. Because this disorder is often misunderstood, many people who have it do not receive appropriate treatment and, as a result, may never reach their full potential. Part of the problem is that it can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in adults.

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist was developed in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Workgroup on Adult ADHD that included the following team of psychiatrists and researchers:

Lenard Adler, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology
New York University Medical School

Ronald C. Kessler, PhD
Professor, Department of Health Care Policy
Harvard Medical School

Thomas Spencer, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

Healthcare professionals can use the ASRS v1.1 as a tool to help screen for ADHD in adult patients. Insights gained through this screening may suggest the need for a more in-depth clinician interview. The questions in the ASRS v1.1 are consistent with DSM-IV criteria and address the manifestations of ADHD symptoms in adults. Content of the questionnaire also reflects the importance that DSM-IV places on symptoms, impairments, and history for a correct diagnosis.

You can download a PDF version of the ADHD-ASRS Symptom Checklist v1.1 here, so that you can give it a try.

I filled in this checklist at the beginning of my first Adult ADHD assessment meeting. The checklist takes about 5 minutes to complete and can provide information that is critical to supplement the diagnostic process. Use this screener to see if you have enough symptoms (keep in mind that for a diagnosis, clinicians take severity and duration of symptoms into account), in order for you to then seek a proper diagnosis through a healthcare provider.

Pete Quily, Adult ADD Coach has provided lists of various ADHD support groups for different regions:

• Canadian ADHD Support Groups
• US ADHD Support Group Links
• International ADHD Support Group Links

For anyone interested in the psychometrics of this scale, please see below (remember, I took statistics SEVERAL times because I kept failing, but this sort of stuff remains interesting to me...

Psychometric data for the ADHD ASRS:
Distributional Characteristics of the ASRS scale in the General Population Information:

• Range 0-72
• Mean 17.19
• Standard Error 1.43
• Median 17
• Skewness 0.72
• Kurtosis 2.74
• Percentiles:
• 25th 13
• 75th 17
• 80th 18
• 90th 29
• 95th 33
• Values >95th Percentile:
• 34-54, 57, 60

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, perhaps you'd like to subscribe to the RSS feed.

Cheers,

Mungo