ADHD Tests For Adults and Adolescents
There isn't a single test that can determine the presence of ADHD. To determine if someone has ADHD, healthcare professionals have to consider how symptoms impact daily functioning and rule out other physical and mental disorders that can cause similar problems.
The specialist will also ask you about your symptoms prior to age 12. Based on current diagnostic guidelines, in order to be diagnosed, you must be suffering from symptoms since childhood.
Conners Adults ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS)
In a clinical setting, rating scales are used to distinguish adult patients with ADHD and those with no symptoms. However, it's often difficult to achieve satisfactory distinction rates, particularly when patients with different diagnoses show overlapping symptoms within the emotion regulation or impulse control domains. For instance anxiety disorders can often occur with impulsiveness symptoms and disinhibition. In these instances, rating scales may lead to an overdiagnosis or overtreatment.
In order to address this problem, in 1999 the CAARS was first developed. In 1999, the CAARS was updated to include an observer's form that allows for a more accurate assessment of symptom severity. Numerous studies have examined the psychometric features of this new version. The measure's convergent and concurrent validity have been proven to be excellent (Smyth and Meier Citation 2019). However, some complaints have been made about the measure's sensitivity to non-credible reporting, a challenge that is commonplace in ADHD rating scales.
The CAARS-S:O has been utilized in a broad range of clinical samples and across many diagnostic conditions. The psychometric properties of the short self report and observer types such as configural invariance and invariance of metric measurements were evaluated. These findings have given the instrument a high level of confidence in its ability to recognize ADHD symptoms in adults.
In a recent research, the authors of the CAARS-S:O evaluated the factor structure of this instrument in a sample of nonclinical adult patients using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results revealed that the model with four factors was able to fit the data and was consistent with previous research (Conners, Erhardt, Epstein et al. Citation 1999). The scalar-invariance in the four-factor model was also proved. In the end, the scalar and configural invariance was also confirmed by gender which allows scores to be attributed to differences in the underlying dimensions.
Recently the authors of CAARS-S:O extended their findings to an adult nonclinical Japanese population. Seven86 participants completed both the CAARS S:S and CAARS Observer forms. The same four-factor model was found to be valid in the North American population with satisfactory metrics invariance and configural invariance. This extends the current validation of CAARS-S:O to an additional population and confirms its value in the identification of ADHD symptoms in adolescents.
Barkley Adults ADHD Scales - IV (BAARSIV)
The BAARS-IV evaluates current ADHD symptoms areas of impairment as well as childhood symptoms. It is designed to provide a thorough assessment of an individual's functioning in their social, school and work-related domains. It is easy to administer and only takes 5-7 minutes. The BAARS-IV includes self- and other (i.e. spouse/partner, or parent) report items. This improves the reliability of the assessment.
In comparison to norms based on age The BAARS-IV identifies whether symptoms are "Clinically Significant," suggesting that the person is more noticeable than people their age, and might require further evaluation. A score of "Not Clinically Significant" means that the symptoms do not interfere with functioning and is more representative of a typical range for people of the same age.
This study included an average of 124 adults aged between the 18 and 67 years old. They were either physician- or self-referred to a medical center's outpatient clinic to evaluate ADHD. All participants completed the BAARS-IV SCT subscales (self and other versions of reports) and ADHD symptoms severity measures. Collateral reporters included spouses/partners, parents friends, siblings, or spouses; a total of 51 reports were obtained.
Results confirm the validity of a three-factor model for SCT, and show that the measure can be reliably used to discern clinically significant differences between those who have an ADHD diagnosis. Additionally, SCT symptom severity is specific to an endorsement of impairment in home, school and community activity by collateral reporters, even when they are controlled for ADHD symptoms.
These findings complement a growing body of literature that suggests SCT is a significant and distinct entity that deserves consideration by adults seeking evaluation of mental disorders. SCT symptoms can also be consistently and validly measured using the BAARS IV in the clinical setting and are associated with functional impairment. Further research is required to determine the impact of SCT on functioning in other domains of life like stress in the parenting and psychopathology of offspring. SCT is a key variable in understanding and treating ADHD in adulthood.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive function Adult Version (BRIEF A)
The BRIEF-A is a standard measure of adult executive function. It contains 63 items in nine clinical scales that have been well-validated and developed from theory and research. They assess executive functioning domains commonly agreed upon: Inhibit (self-monitoring) Shift (emotional control) Initiate (working memory), Plan/Organize and Initiate. It is available in both self-report and informational versions with a parent/teacher version as well. This measure typically takes 10-15 minutes to administer, and about 15 minutes to score. On the reverse of the scoring summary sheet you can calculate T-scores and percentiles. The BRIEF can be used by adults and adolescents between 18-90. It is particularly beneficial for individuals who have academic, behavioral, or cognitive problems which are difficult to describe by other methods, such as autism or pervasive development disorders.
The instrument was designed to be used by psychologists, neuropsychologists and rehabilitation professionals, and physicians in both research and clinical situations. It was standardized on the samples of women and men aged 18-90 who were matched to 2002 US Census data. The normative sample included a wide range of educational and racial backgrounds, as well as geographic regions that were representative of the overall population of the United States. www.iampsychiatry.uk and Metacognition Indexes scales were normative for self-reporting and informant reporting. Three validity scales (Negativity Inconsistency and Infrequency) were included to assess measurement accuracy.
The BRIEF-A doesn't just provide an individual scale that is standardized but also the profile and base rates for scale elevations for a variety of mental disorders, including ADHD, PTSD and depression as well as schizophrenia spectrum disorders including traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia. It also provides reliable change indexes that can be used to evaluate the severity of symptoms in time, like after the administration of medication.
The authors of BRIEF-A have published numerous papers on the application of this instrument to a range of mental disorders, particularly those that affect executive functioning. The instrument can also be used to evaluate the effects of brain injuries traumatic to the, dementia, Tourette's Disorder and Parkinson's Disease. These studies have shown that the BRIEF-A is a reliable and sensitive measure of executive functioning in daily life in these populations. This is particularly relevant for the Inhibit and Emotional Control subscales.
Understood Assistant
Many adults with ADHD are hesitant to seek treatment and diagnosis due to the stigma attached to this condition. If you're constantly losing your keys, have trouble completing tasks at work or your relationships suffer due to inattention, obtaining an accurate diagnosis is the first thing you should do. There's no requirement to undergo the process of brain scanning or blood tests. Instead a professional will conduct a one-onone conversation and utilize rating scales to evaluate the way your symptoms affect your daily life.
Your evaluator wants to know all about your past--how you did in school, how your relationship with your family and friends are like and what's happening at work, home, or at school and the list goes on. You must be prepared to provide your medical history, including details like birth weight, milestones like walking or speaking hospitalizations, as well as ongoing health issues.
The SNAP-IV rating scale has nine questions on inattention and nine regarding hyperactivity and impulsivity, and you'll rate how often you exhibit these symptoms. The SNAP IV is a great method to determine whether you suffer from inattention ADHD or a mixed form of ADHD. It can also be used to detect co-existing conditions such as depression or anxiety.
You'll be asked about other people who are in your life, specifically relatives, since ADHD can run in the family. A family history of ADHD can also indicate if you have the inattentive or impulsive-hyperactivity subtypes of ADHD.
Your evaluation can include neuropsychological and cognitive tests. These aren't diagnostic tests however, they can provide valuable information about the ways ADHD affects your thinking, memory, and learning abilities.
The Trail-Making Test measures your ability to switch between tasks and follow a pattern of numbers or letters. This test can be used with adults and children of all ages and levels of skill and it can be used to detect ADHD as well as other disorders that affect memory and learning.