Diagnosing Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in College Students

OBJECTIVE: Formal criteria for the use informant-ratings of adult ADHD symptoms have not been established yet they are commonplace in standard assessment batteries. METHOD: The current study explores the relationship between self- and informant-ratings and the impact of requiring interrater agreement in a sample comprised of 190 self-referred college students. RESULTS: Participants self-reported higher childhood and current symptoms scores and current impairment scores than informants. Similarities were evident between diagnostic groups who met ADHD criteria by self-report only and by both sources when considering the number of self-reported settings of impairment. Diagnostic groups who met criteria by informant-report only and by both sources were similar when considering informant-reported settings of impairment. CONCLUSION: Participants who meet criteria for ADHD based on one source endorse a similar number of settings of impairment as participants who meet criteria for ADHD by both sources. The implications for the use of informant-ratings are presented.