Assessing ADHD in Latino families: evidence for moving beyond symptomatology

In an effort to combat the mental health disparities that exist among Latinos, the current study aimed to add to our knowledge related to culturally appropriate assessments for Latino children presenting with ADHD.

As part of a larger study, a community sample of 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents completed the Spanish translation of the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (DBD-S), a commonly used, parent-report measure of ADHD.

Results suggest that although both the Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive subscales of the DBD-S are psychometrically sound, the Hyperactive/Impulsive subscale may not be culturally appropriate with some Latino families, particularly those who are less acculturated. This was further supported by preliminary evidence suggesting that this subscale also was not diagnostically useful with the current, community sample.

The potential problems associated with the overemphasis on symptomatology when working with Latino families, the importance of examining functional impairment as part of a culturally appropriate assessment, and the need to replicate the current findings with a clinical sample are discussed.