The ASRS-6 has two latent factors: attention deficit and hyperactivity

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
• Self-report questionnaires are frequently used for ADHD screening in adults.
• The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-6) is a brief screening tool for adult ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the six-item version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-6) measures inattentiveness and hyperactivity as independent constructs.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the ASRS-6 in different adult populations.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare a one-factor model against a two-factor model (inattentiveness and hyperactivity) in university students and outpatients with drug dependence.
• Test-retest reliability of the ASRS-6 subscales was assessed in a subset of the student sample.

Main Results:

• The one-factor model did not adequately fit the data in either sample.
• A two-factor model, distinguishing between inattentiveness and hyperactivity, demonstrated a superior fit to the data.
• The subscales showed differential correlates consistent with established ADHD literature.
• Test-retest reliability was adequate for both the hyperactivity (r = .70) and inattentiveness (r = .77) subscales in the student sample.

Conclusions:

• The ASRS-6 effectively measures two correlated constructs: inattentiveness and hyperactivity.
• The findings support a two-factor structure for the ASRS-6, rather than a single unitary construct.
• This provides a more nuanced understanding of adult ADHD symptom presentation using the ASRS-6.