[Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults]

Abstract

Objective: To determine reliability and validity of Turkish form of the 25 item Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), which is designed as an aid for diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults.

Method: The scale was administered to 59 patients who were diagnosed as having ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria after comprehensive psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments in outpatient clinics of University of Ankara Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. Control groups consisted of 59 patients with depression, 44 patients with bipolar affective disorder in remission, and 145 healthy controls. Subjects who were illiterate and younger than 18 years of age were excluded from the study. WURS was readministered to 63 of the healthy controls after 4 weeks.

Results: Principal components analysis revealed 5 factors explaining 61.3% of the variance. The factors were labeled as Irritability, Depression, School Problems, Behavioral Problems/Impulsivity and Attentional Deficits. Mean factor scores of ADHD group was higher than all groups except Depression factor. Turkish form of WURS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha= 0.93), and the test-retest coefficient for the WURS (total score) was 0.81. Item-total score correlations varied between 0.31-0.75. A cut off score of 36 or higher identified 82.5% of the adults with ADHD (sensitivity), 90.8% of the healthy controls (specificity), 66% of patients with depression, and 64.3% of patients with bipolar affective disorder correctly.

Conclusion: Turkish form of the WURS is a reliable and valid scale in assessing childhood symptoms in adults for ADHD. However overlapping mood disorder items lowers specificity of the scale.