THE WENDER UTAH RATING-SCALE - AN AID IN THE RETROSPECTIVE DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDHOOD ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Objective: In an attempt to surmount the problem of retrospectively es tablishing the childhood diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the authors constructed the 61-item Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) for adults to use to describe their own childhood behavior. In this paper they present their initial data collection and evaluation of the instrument's validity. Method: The scale was administered to 81 adult outpatients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 100 ''normal'' adults, and 70 psychiatric adult outpatients with unipolar depression. The authors analyzed data from the 25 items of the scale t hat showed the greatest difference between the patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the normal comparison subjects and the relationship between the WURS and the patients' parents' judgment of childhood activity as measured by the Parents' Rating Scale. Resul ts: The patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had sig nificantly higher mean scores on all 25 items than did the two compari son groups. The difference between the mean total scores of the patien ts with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the normal subjec ts was also highly significant. A cutoff score of 46 or higher correct ly identified 86% of the patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 99% of the normal subjects, and 81% of the depressed subjec ts. Correlations obtained between WURS scores and Parents' Rating Scal e scores were moderate but impressive. The ability of WURS scores to p redict response to methylphenidate replicated the authors' finding reg arding the ability of Parents' Rating Scale scores to predict response to pemoline. Conclusions: The WURS is sensitive in identifying childh ood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and may be useful in reco gnizing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in patients with ambi guous adult psychopathology.