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Reliability and Validity of an adult ADHD interview
Although research has been conducted to support the psychometric properties of rating scales used to assess ADHD in adults, little research has been conducted examining semi–structured interviews to assess ADHD in adults. The present study examined the test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of an interview to assess ADHD in adults in a sample (N=30) of patients referred to an outpatient clinic.
Kappa statistics for individual symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity–impulsivity were in the fair to good range for both current report (.56–.83 for inattentive symptoms; .40–.89 for hyperactive–impulsive symptoms) and retrospective childhood report (.44–.86 for inattentive symptoms; .50–.72 for hyperactive–impulsive symptoms). Moreover, kappa values for overall diagnosis, which included all DSM–IV Symptoms, were fair for both current (adult) ADHD diagnosis (kappa = .67) and childhood report (kappa = .69).
Concurrent validity of the interview data with respect to individual ADHD symptoms was demonstrated for Hyperactive–Impulsive symptoms in adulthood and for Inattentive symptoms in childhood. This is the first study to establish psychometric characteristics of an adult ADHD interview and the findings are discussed in the context of overall issues pertaining to adult ADHD assessment.
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