ADHD Tests For Adults and Adolescents
There isn't a single test to determine whether someone has ADHD. To determine if testing adhd in adults has ADHD, healthcare providers need to look at how symptoms affect daily life and rule out any other physical and mental conditions that cause similar problems.
Specialists will also ask about your symptoms prior to age 12. According to current diagnostic guidelines for diagnosis, to be diagnosed, you have to be suffering from symptoms since childhood.
Conners Adults ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS)
In the context of clinical care the rating scales are typically created to distinguish adult patients suffering from ADHD from those with no symptoms. However, it can be difficult to achieve satisfactory levels of differentiation, particularly when patients with different diagnoses have overlapping symptoms within the emotional regulation or impulse control domains. For instance, anxiety disorders often co-occur alongside symptoms of impulsiveness and disinhibition. In these instances rating scales can lead to an overdiagnosis or overtreatment.
In order to tackle this issue, in 1999 the initial CAARS was updated to include an observer's type that permits a more accurate evaluation of the severity of symptoms. Numerous studies have looked into the psychometric features of the new version. The measure's convergent and concurrent validity have been shown to be excellent (Smyth & Meier Citation2019). Some criticisms have been made about the measure's sensitivity towards non-credible reports, which is a common issue in ADHD rating scales.
The CAARS-S:O has been utilized in a variety of clinical samples and for a variety of diagnostic conditions. The psychometric properties of both the short self-report and observer versions have been evaluated including configural and metric invariance. These findings have given the instrument a high degree of confidence in its ability to detect ADHD symptoms in adults.
In a recent study, the authors of the CAARS:O assessed the structure of the instrument using the exploratory and confirmation factors on a sample of nonclinical adults. The results showed the four-factor model matched to the data and was in line to previous research (Conners Erhardt Epstein et. al. Citation 1999). In addition, the scalar invariance of the model was proved. In the end, the scalar and configural invariance was also established by gender, allowing scores to be attributed to variations in underlying dimensions.
Recently the authors of CAARS-S:O extended the findings to an adult nonclinical Japanese population. Seven86 participants completed both the CAARS S:S and CAARS Observer forms. The result was the same four-factor model previously tested in the North American population, with satisfactory measurement and variable invariance. This extends the current validation of CAARS-S:O to an additional population and confirms its value in identifying ADHD symptoms in emerging adults.
Barkley Adults ADHD Rating Scales IV (BAARS-IV)
The BAARS-IV evaluates the current ADHD symptoms areas of impairment as well as childhood symptoms. It is designed to provide a complete assessment of an individual's functioning in their social, school and work areas. It is easy to administer and takes about 5 to 7 minutes to complete. The BAARS-IV includes both self and other (i.e. spouse/partner, parent) report items. This improves the reliability of the assessment.
The BAARS-IV compares symptoms to norms of age and shows if they are "Clinically Significant," which means that the patient's symptoms could be more severe than those of people their age. The patient may require further examination. A score of "Not Clinically Significant" means that the symptoms do not interfere with functioning, and is more reflective of the typical range of people their age.
This study involved 124 adults between the ages of 18 and 67. Participants were either identified by a physician or self-referred to an outpatient clinic at a medical center to be evaluated for ADHD. All participants completed the BAARS-IV SCT subscales (self and other versions of reports) and ADHD symptoms severity measures. Collateral reporters were spouses/partners or parents or siblings. A total of 51 reports were taken.
The results confirm the validity and reliability of a three-factor model of SCT and demonstrate that it can be reliably used in identifying clinically meaningful differences between those with and without an ADHD diagnosis. SCT symptom intensity is additionally associated with collateral reporters' endorsements of impairments in school, home and community activity functions, even after controlling for ADHD symptoms' intensity.
These findings are part of a growing body literature that suggests SCT as an important and distinct concept to be considered when adults are referred to a psychiatrist to be evaluated for psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, SCT symptoms can be reliable and validly evaluated in the clinical setting using the BAARS-IV test, and are in turn associated with functional impairment. Further research is needed to determine the impact SCT has on other areas of life such as parenting stress or psychopathology in offspring. SCT is a crucial factor in understanding and treating ADHD as adults.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Adult Version (BRIEF-A)
The BRIEF-A is a well-established measure of adult executive function. It includes 63 items from nine clinical scales that have been validated and derived from theory and empirical research. They assess executive functioning domains commonly agreed on: Inhibit (self-monitoring) Shift (emotional control), Initiate (working memory) Plan/Organize and Initiate. It is available as a self-report and an informant version, and a parent/teacher sheet that is included. This test usually takes about 10 minutes to administer and 15 minutes to score. T-scores and percentiles can be calculated on the reverse of the scoring summary sheet. The BRIEF is used for adolescents and adults between 18-90. It is particularly useful with individuals who experience mental, behavioral, and academic issues that aren't easily identified by other methods, such as severe developmental disorders/autism, or traumatic brain injuries.
The instrument can be used in clinical and research situations by psychologists and neuropsychologists. It was standardized on the samples of women and men ages 18-90 who were matched to 2002 US Census data. The normative sample was representative of the United States population in terms of race/ethnicity and educational background and geographic region. The Metacognition and Behavioral Regulation Indexes scales were normed for self-reporting and informant reporting. Three validity scales (Negativity Inconsistency and Infrequency) were included to assess the accuracy of measurements.
In addition, it provides standardization for individual scales, the BRIEF-A provides a profiles and baseline rates of scale elevation for a variety of psychiatric conditions including ADHD, PTSD, depression, schizophrenia spectrum disorders and traumatic brain injury (TBI). It also offers reliable change indexes for comparing symptom severity over time, such as, after the administration of medication.
The authors of BRIEF-A have published a number of papers on its application to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including those that affect executive function. The instrument has been used to test traumatic brain injury and dementia, as along with Tourette's Disorder, Parkinson's Disease, and Tourette's Disorder. 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 especially relevant to the subscales of Inhibit and Emotional Control.
Understood Assistant
Many people with ADHD are reluctant to seek treatment and diagnosis due to the stigma attached to this condition. If you're constantly losing your keys, experience difficulties completing work tasks or your relationships suffer due to inattention, obtaining a proper diagnosis is the first thing you should do. Fortunately, there's no need for blood tests or brain scans; a proper test for adult ADHD involves a one-on-one interview with an experienced professional and the use of rating scales that consider the way your symptoms impact your daily routine.
The person evaluating you wants to know all about your past--how you did in school, what your relationships with your family and friends are like What's going on at work, home, or school and so on. You should also be prepared to talk about your medical history and provide details about your birth weight, early milestones such as when you first learned to walk or talk or talk, hospitalizations you've been to, as well as any health issues that are ongoing.
The SNAP-IV rating scale has nine questions on inattention and nine regarding hyperactivity and impulsivity. you'll rank how often you experience these symptoms. The SNAP-IV is an excellent indicator of whether you suffer from the inattentive or combined type of ADHD, and it could also help to identify other conditions that are co-occurring, such as anxiety or depression.
You may also be asked to provide information on other people, especially family members, since ADHD can run in families. A family history of ADHD can also indicate if you have the inattentive or impulsive-hyperactivity subtypes of ADHD.
Different types of neuropsychological and cognitive testing can also be part of your evaluation. These tests are not diagnostic, but they can give valuable information about how ADHD affects your memory, learning and thinking abilities.
The Trail-Making Test is a cognitive test that tests how quickly you can follow a number or a letter sequence and how well you're capable of switching between tasks. This test is suitable for adults and children regardless of age or ability. It can be used to screen for ADHD and other conditions that affect learning and memory.