Who predict ADHD with better diagnostic accuracy?: Parents or teachers?

The objectives of the study were to determine which parents or teachers predict attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) better in children and adolescents, and to detect both diagnostical and symptomatological agreement levels across informant reports.

A total of 417 cases aged 6-14 from a non-referred community sample were assessed by a semi-structured interview, parent- and teacher-rated ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Also, impairment criteria were taken into account to ensure the gold standard diagnosis for ADHD. The measures of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated in each categorical sample. Besides, the agreement between parent and teacher reports of ADHD was investigated.

Parents and teachers had similar diagnostic accuracy for predicting ADHD. Both parents and teachers predicted ADHD in similar accuracy in both boys and girls, separately. However, girls were found to be more predictable by both parents and teachers compared to boys. Parents with lower education levels had worse diagnostic accuracy than both parents with higher education levels and teachers. Low to moderate agreement and correlations between parent and teacher ADHD reports were detected.

In general, parents and teachers seem to predict ADHD in similar accuracy. Nevertheless, child gender and parental education level may alter the predictability power for ADHD. The findings can guide for clinicians that how to evaluate observation reports of parents and teachers to make accurate ADHD diagnosis in patients.