Molly McVoy, Salayna M Abdallah, Emma Church, Joy Yala, Farren Briggs, Jennifer B Levin
{"title":"A Customized Medication Adherence Enhancement Program for Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD (CAE-ADHD): Primary Outcomes.","authors":"Molly McVoy, Salayna M Abdallah, Emma Church, Joy Yala, Farren Briggs, Jennifer B Levin","doi":"10.1177/10870547251328526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251328526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>ADHD is a generally persistent neurodevelopmental condition that can have significant consequences if left untreated, and medication, often in conjunction with psychotherapy, is the first-line treatment with well-established efficacy. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) represent a particularly vulnerable and understudied subgroup and there remains a significant concern regarding transition to treatment independence, treatment engagement and medication adherence in this population. We report the results from a pilot trial evaluating Customized Adherence Enhancement-ADHD (CAE-ADHD), a psychosocial intervention for AYAs with ADHD, aimed to increase independence in managing ADHD and improve ADHD symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used an iterative process to modify an existing psychosocial intervention to address engagement, independence, and adherence in AYAs with ADHD, originally developed for AYAs with bipolar disorder. To develop the CAE-ADHD intervention, we conducted focus groups and cognitive interviews with AYA with ADHD. We then conducted a pilot feasibility and efficacy study in AYAs with ADHD (<i>n</i> = 12) with follow-up visits at 8 and 12 weeks into the study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The sample consisted of 12 participants ages 16 to 24 years with a diagnosis of ADHD, obtained via self-report, and currently prescribed stimulant medication. Mean age of the sample was 19.5 years, 58.33% female, 25% non-White. Participation and retention were strong with 93.33% of sessions completed overall and 10/12 participants completing all sessions. AYAs showed a trend toward improvement in ADHD symptoms as measured by the ADHD RS-5, statistically significant improvement in transition readiness and ADHD knowledge. There was no significant change in adherence.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This first of its kind feasibility and efficacy pilot study for a novel intervention, CAE-ADHD, found high engagement and improvement in ADHD symptoms, transition readiness, and ADHD knowledge from baseline to week 12.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":"29 8","pages":"591-601"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144002307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sleep Disturbances, ADHD, and Self-Harm Among Youth.","authors":"Songül Derin, Idil Altintas, Saliha B Selman","doi":"10.1177/10870547251327479","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10870547251327479","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Previous studies have linked ADHD with self-harm, but the processes underlying this association are not fully understood. This research aims to investigate the role of sleep disturbances as a potential pathway between ADHD diagnosis and self-harm behaviors.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The study included 90 youth aged between 11 and 18 years, divided into two groups: a case group of 45 youth diagnosed with ADHD and a control group of 45 youth without ADHD. Both groups completed the Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury to evaluate self-harm behaviors and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children to assess sleep disturbances. A path analysis was conducted to examine whether a significant proportion of the association between ADHD and self-harm was shared with sleep disturbances, while controlling for gender, youth education, family income, maternal education, and overall anxiety and depression scores.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>An ADHD diagnosis was significantly associated with sleep disturbances (β = .62, <i>p</i> < .001) and self-harm behaviors (β = .35, <i>p</i> = .03). Additionally, sleep disturbances were significantly linked to self-harm (β = .51, <i>p</i> = .002) and played a significant role in the association between ADHD and self-harm (indirect effect β = .32, <i>p</i> = .001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that sleep disturbances account for a substantial proportion of the shared variance in the association between ADHD and self-harm. While the cross-sectional design limits causal interpretations, these results highlight the importance of addressing sleep issues in clinical care for ADHD to potentially reduce self-harm risks and improve outcomes for at-risk youth.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"635-644"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143656959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"C. G. Jung's Concept of \"Manic Mood\" From 1904: An Early Contribution to the Disorder of the Adult Form of ADHD?","authors":"Steffen Müller, Maria Strauß, Holger Steinberg","doi":"10.1177/10870547251319077","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10870547251319077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adult ADHD has increasingly become a focus in adult psychiatry. Despite well-established diagnostic criteria and specific therapeutic approaches, contemporary discussions often dismiss ADHD as a \"fad.\" This study examines Carl Gustav Jung's 1904 concept of \"manic mood\" and its potential alignment with the modern understanding of ADHD in adults.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this paper is to investigate and discuss whether Jung's concept of \"manic mood\" can be considered part of the intellectual history of adult ADHD.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Jung's concept of \"manic mood\" is analyzed and presented using the literary-historical method of \"close reading,\" placing the analysis within the context of the early 20th-century discussion of \"chronic-manic concepts.\" This analysis is compared with the current diagnostic criteria for adult ADHD.</p><p><strong>Results and conclusion: </strong>Jung's concept of \"manic mood,\" described in 1904, has clear parallels to diagnostic criteria used for adult ADHD. It is conceivable that the patients presented by Jung would be diagnosed with adult ADHD today. Jung's work fits into the discussion of \"chronic-manic concepts\" of the early 20th century and thus makes a relevant original contribution to the nosological-diagnostic classification of forms in the spectrum of ADHD-affective disorders-personality disorders. The parallel between Jung's disease construct of \"manic mood\" and the current view of ADHD supports our hypothesis that the adult form of ADHD represents a consistent disease phenomenon and should therefore not be degraded as a \"fad.\"</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"645-655"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064861/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143476491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Destin Groff, Wen-Jan Tuan, Kraig Holt, James R Latronica, Curtis Bone
{"title":"Risk Factors for Adverse Cardiac Events in Individuals Prescribed Stimulants Across the Lifespan.","authors":"Destin Groff, Wen-Jan Tuan, Kraig Holt, James R Latronica, Curtis Bone","doi":"10.1177/10870547251313880","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10870547251313880","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Prescription stimulants are an effective FDA approved treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) however their safety has come under scrutiny. Multiple studies demonstrate safe use in pediatric populations, but prescriptions are increasing to adults and it is not evident which comorbidities might place people at risk of adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors of adverse cardiovascular events for individuals exposed to stimulants across the lifespan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a case control study utilizing the TriNetX research network database. Individuals were included for study if they were younger than 90 years old and prescribed stimulants between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2020. We utilized summary statistics, chi2, and multivariate logistic regression to identify risk factors for cardiovascular events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 987,762 individuals prescribed stimulants, 49,902 experienced an adverse cardiovascular event. Individuals with atherosclerotic heart disease had the highest odds of adverse events (aOR = 36.7, <i>p</i> < .001). Hypertension (aOR = 2.78 <i>p</i> < .001), cocaine use (aOR = 1.64 <i>p</i> < .001), and anxiety (aOR = 1.46 <i>p</i> < .001) were also strongly predictive of adverse outcomes, but risk varied by age.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Atherosclerotic heart disease and its antecedents pose the greatest risk for cardiovascular events for people prescribed stimulants. Mental health diagnoses are also independent predictors and age may be an effect modifier of these relationships. ADHD was not an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events when controlling for other biopsychosocial variables in adult populations. Additional research focused on predictive models and prospective studies may be warranted to better inform clinical decisions regarding stimulant prescriptions for the broad demographic of patients that may benefit from these medications.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"628-634"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064858/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143382604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Review of Sex and Gender Factors in Stimulant Treatment for ADHD: Knowledge Gaps and Future Directions.","authors":"Iris L Rapoport, Annabeth P Groenman","doi":"10.1177/10870547251315601","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10870547251315601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Stimulant medications are the primary pharmacological intervention for ADHD, yet our understanding of how sex and gender impact stimulant treatment outcomes remains limited. Clinical guidelines do not differ for female and male individuals despite possible sex and gender-related differences in effectiveness, adverse events, and pharmacokinetics. This theoretical framework identifies five key knowledge gaps relating to sex and gender effects in stimulant treatment.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We investigate the stimulant treatment trajectories of girls and women with ADHD from diagnosis and prescription to daily use and outcomes. We examine the impact of reproductive life transitions and hormonal fluctuations and their interactions with gender socialization and gendered expectations on treatment effectiveness, stigma, and adherence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>By synthesizing existing literature, proposing testable predictions, and suggesting future research directions, we highlight the urgent need for studies that systematically investigate these factors.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Addressing these gaps could significantly improve treatment outcomes for girls and women with ADHD, particularly during biological and gender role transitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"602-616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064863/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143059196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benjamin Johnson, Tianze Sun, Leo Wu, Stella Seal, Daniel Stjepanovic, Gary Chan, Janni Leung
{"title":"Content Analysis of the Portrayal of Prescription Stimulants on TikTok.","authors":"Benjamin Johnson, Tianze Sun, Leo Wu, Stella Seal, Daniel Stjepanovic, Gary Chan, Janni Leung","doi":"10.1177/10870547251318834","DOIUrl":"10.1177/10870547251318834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>TikTok has become a significant influence on public health perceptions, especially regarding ADHD. With its expansive reach among younger demographics, TikTok content has the potential to shape public understanding and behaviors related to ADHD treatment. This study analyzed how prescription stimulants are depicted on TikTok to assess the potential influence of these portrayals on ADHD stimulant medication demand.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed a snowball sampling strategy to collect 1,000 TikTok videos related to prescription stimulants. A systematic content analysis was conducted on a refined dataset of 548 videos, identifying primary categories related to prescription stimulant portrayals.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The videos, which predominantly featured young adults, mainly white and female, amassed an average of over 300,000 views per video. Our analysis uncovered four primary categories: Positive Effects, Negative Effects, Context of Use, and Systemic Challenges. Videos frequently depicted substantial improvements in daily functionality and emotional well-being attributed to prescription stimulants, with side effects presented as manageable. The context of use highlighted the broad applications of these medications in daily life, while systemic challenges focused on issues such as healthcare barriers, medication shortages, and stigma.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TikTok users' portrayal of prescription stimulants were predominantly positive, emphasizing improved lifestyles, which may influence medication demand similar to direct-to-consumer advertising, particularly among young women. The depiction of systemic barriers underscores the complexity of accessing treatment, which may disproportionately affect individuals with ADHD and impact treatment adherence, warranting further research into audience reception of this content.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"617-627"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064856/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143440898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annie I Reiner, Alex J Greenberg, Matthew A Jarrett, Stephen P Becker, Michael J Kofler, Aaron M Luebbe, G Leonard Burns, Annie A Garner
{"title":"Does Stimulant Medication Status Moderate the Association Between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms and Rumination?","authors":"Annie I Reiner, Alex J Greenberg, Matthew A Jarrett, Stephen P Becker, Michael J Kofler, Aaron M Luebbe, G Leonard Burns, Annie A Garner","doi":"10.1177/10870547251340039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251340039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous research suggests that college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are at risk for experiencing ruminative thinking. Although research has shown that stimulant medications reduce ADHD symptoms, no research has looked at whether stimulant medication moderates the association between ADHD symptoms and rumination. Given this gap in the literature, the current study examined whether stimulant medication status moderates the association between ADHD symptoms and rumination. Participants (<i>N</i> = 4,751) were undergraduate psychology students from six universities (70.0% female; <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 19.08; <i>SD</i><sub>age</sub> = 1.36) who participated in a larger study. College students completed questionnaires related to ADHD symptoms and rumination and indicated whether they were currently taking a stimulant medication. Results of the moderation model indicated a significant main effect for ADHD inattentive symptoms (β = 5.20, <i>p</i> < .05, 95% CI [4.43, 5.98]) and a significant interaction effect between ADHD inattentive symptoms and stimulant medication in relation to rumination (β = -2.41, <i>p</i> < .05, 95% CI [-4.51, -.30]). Examination of conditional effects revealed significant simple slopes for students both on and off medication but a stronger association for those off (β = 5.20, <i>p</i> < .05, 95% CI [4.43, 5.98]) versus on (β = 2.80, <i>p</i> < .05, 95% CI [.78, 4.81]) stimulant medication. Stimulant medication status did not moderate the association between ADHD hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and rumination. Future research should continue to explore the potential benefits of stimulant medication for reducing the association between ADHD inattention symptoms and rumination.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"10870547251340039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144093785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Saunders, Deepika Slawek, Chenshu Zhang, Nancy Sohler, Chinazo Cunningham, Haruka Minami, Joanna Starrels, Julia Arnsten, Frances Levin
{"title":"ADHD Symptoms and Medical Cannabis Use Among Adults With Chronic Pain.","authors":"David Saunders, Deepika Slawek, Chenshu Zhang, Nancy Sohler, Chinazo Cunningham, Haruka Minami, Joanna Starrels, Julia Arnsten, Frances Levin","doi":"10.1177/10870547251336841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251336841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>We examined whether medical cannabis (MC) use was associated with change in ADHD symptoms across time in a sample of adults with chronic pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a longitudinal cohort study (<i>N</i> = 223) across 12 months, assessing ADHD symptoms and MC use. We used mixed-effects linear regression to test whether MC use (vs. no use) and high THC (vs. low THC) MC was associated with change in ADHD symptoms from baseline to follow-up at quarterly intervals. We stratified by baseline ADHD symptoms and pain catastrophizing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MC use was not associated with change in ADHD symptoms in the full sample or those with moderate/severe ADHD symptoms. Among those with minor/no baseline ADHD symptoms, high-THC MC (vs. low-THC) was associated with a decrease in ADHD symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The null findings among participants with moderate/severe ADHD symptoms suggests that cannabis is unlikely to be a good treatment for ADHD. The preliminary findings in those with mild ADHD symptoms should be interpreted with caution given the small sample, the modest result, and all participants had chronic pain. These results may temper enthusiasm for MC as a treatment for ADHD, but further studies in larger and more generalizable samples may be justified.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"10870547251336841"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Morgan L Jusko, Jessica N Smith, Timothy Hayes, Mileini Campez-Pardo, Adela C Timmons, Anne S Morrow, Cynthia Lozano, Whitney D Fosco, Kelcey Little, Miguel Villodas, Joseph S Raiker
{"title":"An Application of Time Series Analysis to Single-Case Designs in an Intensive Behavioral Intervention for ADHD.","authors":"Morgan L Jusko, Jessica N Smith, Timothy Hayes, Mileini Campez-Pardo, Adela C Timmons, Anne S Morrow, Cynthia Lozano, Whitney D Fosco, Kelcey Little, Miguel Villodas, Joseph S Raiker","doi":"10.1177/10870547251339546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251339546","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Although treatment research has relied upon group-based methods to understand treatment response, these methods often are unable to detect intraindividual changes in behavior. Single case designs using time series analyses, in contrast, may be ideal for examining intraindividual variability in treatment response over time. The current proof-of-concept study applies time series analysis to four youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a behavioral treatment program to characterize how their behavior changes over time.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Objective behavioral data was collected on a moment-by-moment basis while the youth attended an intensive afterschool treatment program implemented throughout the academic year. Desirable and undesirable behaviors were summed for each day, and trends were fit to the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The most parsimonious <i>trend</i> was linear for most children, for both undesirable and desirable behaviors; however, variability in behavioral response limited the ability of time series analysis to optimally characterize behavioral change. Further, a <i>seasonal</i> analysis revealed differences in response to intervention depending on the day of the week. Notably, decreases in both desirable and undesirable behavior were observed closer to the week's most salient reinforcer.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings provide a proof-of-concept for implementing time series analysis for clinical scientists intending to utilize moment-by-moment data collection.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"10870547251339546"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144086254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruqayah Alhajji, Elaine Walsh, Kenneth Charles Pike, Freda F Liu, Monica Oxford, Mark A Stein
{"title":"The Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms and Normal Behaviors Scale (SWAN): Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Utility.","authors":"Ruqayah Alhajji, Elaine Walsh, Kenneth Charles Pike, Freda F Liu, Monica Oxford, Mark A Stein","doi":"10.1177/10870547251340028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251340028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal Behavior scale (SWAN) clinical utility as a diagnostic measure of ADHD in an ADHD clinic sample.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In a sample of 357 children (6-11 years old) referred for evaluation at an academic medical center, we explored the SWAN's diagnostic and convergent validity with the Hyperactivity-Inattention subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ/HI) and concurrent validity with the Impairment Rating Scale (IRS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The averaged (SWAN total) and the SWAN Hyperactivity/Impulsivity subscale (SWAN HI) showed significant and large correlations with the SDQ/HI (<i>r</i> = .69 and .65), respectively. The SWAN Attention Deficit subscale (SWAN AD) had a significant but smaller correlation (<i>r</i> = .49). The SWAN total had moderate correlation with the IRS average score ( = .33). In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.71) for the SWAN total, the SWAN distinguished ADHD cases from non-ADHD cases with sensitivity of 83% but specificity of 47%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In a clinical sample, the SWAN total scores displayed a near-normal distribution. ADHD cases were distinguished from non-ADHD cases by the SWAN. The SWAN showed adequate convergent and concurrent validity with other symptoms and impairment measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":15237,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Attention Disorders","volume":" ","pages":"10870547251340028"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144023187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}