DISCRIMINANT VALIDITY OF ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to assess the discrim inant validity of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rela tive to well-defined groups of children with other psychiatric disorde rs. Method: Clinic-referred patients diagnosed as having ADHD without any other comorbid diagnosis (N = 13), were compared with patients wit h only anxiety disorders (N = 20), disruptive disorders other than ADH D (N = 15), and nonreferred controls (N = 18) on measures of cognitive and academic functioning, as well as on objective measures of attenti on, impulse control, and activity level. Results: All three patient gr oups were found to have cognitive and academic achievement difficultie s relative to controls. However, the ADHD group was found to be inatte ntive and impulsive relative to the other patient groups and the nonre ferred controls. Objective measurement of activity level distinguished the ADHD group from controls but not from the other two patient group s. Conclusions: These data support the diagnostic validity of a small subgroup of ADHD children (i.e., those without comorbid diagnoses) and demonstrates, that as a group, these children can be distinguished fr om patients with anxiety as well as other disruptive disorders on obje ctive test measures.