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Methodology note

Methodology of the ADHD test for adults questionnaire

  • Self-observation
  • 28 items
  • 4 axes
  • 5 references

This page describes where the items come from, how the score is computed and the limits of this questionnaire. It is public and asks for no sign-up.

1Where the items come from

The items are written for Brain Quiz from the published literature in the field.

The 28 items in this questionnaire were written for Brain Quiz from the published literature on attention difficulties in adults. No published scale is reproduced, in whole or in part: not the World Health Organization ASRS, not the CAARS, not the DIVA, not the WURS. The references below document the field being explored, they are not the source of the items.

Sources. 28 items in total.1,2,3,4,5

2How the score is computed

Each answer is worth 0 to 4 points, multiplied by the weight of the item, which ranges from 1 to 3. On reversed items the scale is flipped: a high answer lowers the score. The total is rescaled to 100 and placed in one of four reading bands. The four axes are computed separately, each as a percentage of the maximum reachable on its own items. The weights and the band thresholds were set by the editorial team: they come from no population calibration and match no validated cut-off.

2.1The reading axes

Each item feeds a single axis. Each axis is computed as a percentage of the maximum reachable on its own items.

Table 1. The 4 reading axes and the number of items feeding each one.
Reading axisItems
Sustained attention7
Organisation and planning7
Restlessness and impulsivity7
Emotional regulation7

2.2The reading bands

The score brought back to 100 falls into one of these bands. The bounds are set by the editorial team, and shown here.

Table 2. The reading bands of the score out of 100, and the guidance attached to each one.
BandRange out of 100Guidance
Few traits identified0 to 29nonea
Traits present at times30 to 54conversation suggestedb
Marked traits on several axes55 to 74conversation suggestedb
Marked and consistent traits75 to 100reinforced guidancec
  1. No guidance message comes with this band.
  2. The result mentions that a conversation with a professional can help.
  3. The result shows a guidance message towards a health professional.

3Limits of the result

This questionnaire does not measure how long your difficulties have been present, even though their persistence since childhood is central to an assessment by a health professional. It does not measure their real impact on your life either, nor the other possible explanations: sleep debt, anxiety, thyroid conditions, a prolonged period of overload. These elements are central to a professional assessment, and none of them is within reach of an online questionnaire.

4References

Each entry carries its authors, year, title, journal and identifier.

  1. Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., Demler, O., Faraone, S., Hiripi, E., Howes, M. J., Jin, R., Secnik, K., Spencer, T., Ustun, T. B., & Walters, E. E. (2005). The World Health Organization adult ADHD self-report scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 35(2), 245-256. doi:10.1017/S0033291704002892 opens in a new tab ↑
  2. Kooij, J. J. S., Bijlenga, D., Salerno, L., Jaeschke, R., Bitter, I., Balazs, J., et al. (2019). Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD. European Psychiatry, 56, 14-34. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.11.001 opens in a new tab ↑
  3. Fayyad, J., Sampson, N. A., Hwang, I., Adamowski, T., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Al-Hamzawi, A., et al. (2017). The descriptive epidemiology of DSM-IV Adult ADHD in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 9(1), 47-65. doi:10.1007/s12402-016-0208-3 opens in a new tab ↑
  4. Barkley, R. A., Murphy, K. R., & Bush, T. (2001). Time perception and reproduction in young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neuropsychology, 15(3), 351-360. doi:10.1037/0894-4105.15.3.351 opens in a new tab ↑
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2019). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG87). London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493361/ opens in a new tab ↑
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