Psychological assessment
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Psychological assessment · Sep 2019
Erroneous conclusions: The impact of failing to identify invalid symptom presentation when conducting adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research.
Invalid symptom report during assessment confounds the differential diagnosis process. This study examined differences in neuropsychological functioning between individuals diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression and/or anxiety disorders before and after participants meeting diagnostic criteria for malingered neurocognitive dysfunction were excluded. One hundred sixty-one adult patients undergoing ADHD assessment [M age 27.98 (8.35)] were evaluated and assigned to one of two groups based on medical records, a clinical interview, and self-report measures (depression/anxiety disorder n = 85; ADHD and depression/anxiety disorders n = 76). ⋯ Additionally, the magnitude of association between self-report of ADHD symptoms and performance on neuropsychological test measures decreased dramatically. Thus, it is imperative that researchers administer performance and symptom validity measures to identify invalid symptom presentation when conducting large-scale studies. The failure to do so may result in inaccurate conclusions regarding the neurocognitive functioning of patients with ADHD and comorbid conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).