Criterion and concurrent validity of Conners Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) Spanish version

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder in adulthood. Its diagnosis requires a retrospective evaluation of ADHD symptoms in childhood, the continuity of these symptoms in adulthood, and a differential diagnosis. For these reasons, diagnosis of ADHD in adults is a complex process which needs effective diagnostic tools.

Aim: To analyse the criterion validity of the CAADID semi-structured interview, Spanish version, and the concurrent validity compared with other ADHD severity scales.

Methods: An observational case-control study was conducted on 691 patients with ADHD. They were out-patients treated in a program for adults with ADHD in a hospital.

Results: A sensitivity of 98.86%, specificity 67.68%, positive predictive value 90.77% and a negative predictive value 94.87% were observed. Diagnostic precision was 91.46%. The kappa index concordance between the clinical diagnostic interview and the CAADID was 0.88. Good concurrent validity was obtained, the CAADID correlated significantly with WURS scale (r=0.522, P<.01), ADHD Rating Scale (r=0.670, P<.0.1) and CAARS (self-rating version; r=0.656, P<.01 and observer-report r=0.514, P<.01).

Conclusion: CAADID is a valid and useful tool for the diagnosis of ADHD in adults for clinical, as well as for research purposes.