Identifying Feigned ADHD in College Students: Comparing the Multidimensional ADHD Rating Scale to Established Validity Measures. Issue 12 (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Potts, Heather E.; Lewandowski, Lawrence J.; Lovett, Benjamin J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 26:Issue 12(2022)
• Page Start: 1622
• Page End: 1630
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: ADHD -- malingering -- diagnostic validity -- assessment; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/10870547221092095
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: There is increased concern for malingering in ADHD evaluations due to presence of incentives such as accommodations and medications. Although several validity tests are available to classify malingering in non-ADHD populations, there is no test with proven effectiveness to detect feigned ADHD. This study investigated the ability of the MARS Symptom Validity Index 4 (MARS SV-index 4) and two published validity tests (the Word Memory Test [WMT] and Clinical Assessment of Attention Deficit-Adult [CAT-A] Infrequency scale) to detect malingered ADHD. Method: The participants consisted of 68 young adults, 34 with ADHD. Participants completed the MARS, CAT-A, and WMT validity measures. Results: The MARS SV index-4 demonstrated higher sensitivity rates for simulated malingering (61.8%) at close to optimal specificity (88.2%) compared to two published tests (which had sensitivity <42% at specificity >90%). Conclusion: The MARS shows good ability to detect feigned ADHD and appears to be useful for adult ADHD assessments.