Alarmingly high prevalence and lack of gender differences in ADHD among high school students: Screening for ADHD with ASRS among adolescents and working adults

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) among adolescents and adult working populations of different genders, the prevalence of ADHD, and its relationship to stress. Materials and methods: A sample of 723 professionally active people and 1744 high school students participated in the study. Part A of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was used to measure ADHD and the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) was used to measure stress. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original 6-item two-factor solution of ASRS Part A had a satisfactory fit and showed basic measurement invariance between age groups and genders. Inattention and hyperactivity were related mostly similarly to stress in all groups. The prevalence of ADHD among adolescents was much higher than in previous reports, and no gender differences were found. About every fifth high school student and every tenth adult showed a risk of ADHD. The potential cause of the difference in the prevalence in the studied groups can be generation change. Conclusions: ASRS is a well-functioning screening measure with good psychometric properties. It is a convenient option for large-scale epidemiological surveys necessary to understand potential generational changes in the prevalence of ADHD and the lack of gender differences among adolescents.