ABSTRACT
Diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults requires retrospective assessment of ADHD symptoms in childhood. The Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and its German validated version (WURS-k) may offer a helpful tool to acertain relevant childhood problems associated with ADHD. Up to now validating data of the WURS-k were limited to male population. In a population of 69 female adult ADHD patients and 97 controls, ROC analysis indicated a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 92% at a cut-off of 30 points in the WURS-k. This cut-off value is equivalent to those of males. Symptom report varies significantly by gender and females describe more internalizing problems while males report more externalizing behaviour. Regarding different subtypes according to DSM-IV males and females did not differ in the items of the WURS-k.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Comorbidity , Female , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory/standards , Prevalence , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Up to now dimensional classification systems for psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents have been developed exclusively on the basis of parent, teacher and self-report questionnaires. In the present study a dimensional classification system for psychiatric disorders was developed that is based on clinical ratings and involves factor, reliability and correlational analyses. The ratings are made with a special documentation system for psychopathology in children and adolescents. Four primary symptom scales (aggressive symptoms, antisocial symptoms, hyperkinetic symptoms and social-emotional impulsivity) are combined into the secondary scale external symptoms. Two symptom scales (social and achievement anxiety, depressive symptoms) make up the scale internal symptoms. Two other symptom scales cover language and eating disturbances. Reliability coefficients are given and correlational structures discussed.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Affective Symptoms/classification , Affective Symptoms/diagnosis , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Aggression/psychology , Antisocial Personality Disorder/classification , Antisocial Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/classification , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Child , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Male , Mental Disorders/classification , Mental Disorders/psychology , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
A standardized documentation system for psychopathological findings allowing an assessment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents after clinical evaluation of the patient and his or her caregivers is presented. The symptomatology during the previous few months and the symptoms seen during the examination are rated separately. Altogether 113 items in 16 areas are assessed. In addition, motivation to participate in treatment is judged and a global assessment is made of symptom severity. A number of facilities are already employing this documentation system in their routine clinical work. In a first study 597 patients from a routine clinical population seen consecutively were assessed at the start of treatment. As expected, the most commonly recorded symptoms were those of expansive behavior. Such symptoms were seen much more rarely during the evaluation than outside this situation. The documentation system for psychopathological findings complements diagnosis by category according to ICD with a phenomenological description of psychiatric disturbances on the level of single symptoms. It enables simple and economical documentation of clinical findings after evaluation of the patient and his or her caregivers.
