Quantifying the relationship between perceived consequences of ADHD medication and its usage
Daniel J Cox1, Margaret Taylor Davis2, Brian S Cox3
1University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA djc4f@virginia.edu.
Objective:
To address a major barrier of medication noncompliance for individuals with ADHD, the authors present the ADHD Medication Attitude Scale (AMAS) with initial psychometric analyses and discriminant validity data.
Method:
The AMAS was posted on ADHD websites, along with questions about demographics and medication usage over a 6-month period. A total of 356 ADHD respondents qualified for data analysis (160 males, 196 females, mean age = 18.58, years range = 13-62 years, SD = 6.07).
Results:
Factor analysis revealed two factors: one indicating positive and the other indicating negative attitude toward medication. The final refined 22-item scale demonstrated good reliability (α =.83). More positive and less negative attitude factor scores, as well as age (older than 19 years), independently predicted respondents' self-report of taking medication, χ(2) (1, N = 248) = 38.95, p < .001.
Conclusion:
The AMAS is a psychometrically sound means of assessing attitudes toward ADHD medication, which significantly relate to self-reported medication usage.
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