Validation of the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Quality-of-Life Scale (AAQoL): A Disease-Specific Quality-of-Life Measure

Introduction: A growing body of evidence suggests that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persist into adulthood and are associated with ongoing impairment and co-morbidity. The absence of a conceptually sound and well-validated ADHD-specific quality-of-life measure has been...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quality of life research 2006-02, Vol.15 (1), p.117-129
Main Authors: Brod, Meryl, Johnston, Joseph, Able, Stephen, Swindle, Ralph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
A priori knowledge
Activities of Daily Living
Adolescent
Adult
Adults
Aged
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
California
Children & youth
Construct validity
Correlations
Disorders
Emotions
Female
Georgia
Humans
Hyperactivity
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Middle Aged
Missing data
Productivity
Psychometrics
Psychometrics - instrumentation
Quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
Self Efficacy
Sickness Impact Profile
Social Support
Socioeconomic Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Introduction: A growing body of evidence suggests that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persist into adulthood and are associated with ongoing impairment and co-morbidity. The absence of a conceptually sound and well-validated ADHD-specific quality-of-life measure has been an obstacle to understanding this impact. To address this gap, the Adult ADHD Quality-of-Life Scale (AAQoL) was developed based on well accepted methods for designing patient reported outcomes. The purpose of this study was to validate the AAQoL. Methods: Nine Hundred and Eighty Nine adults in a retrospective cohort study were administered the AAQoL and psychometric validation was conducted according to an a priori statistical analysis plan. Results: A 29-item AAQoL was found to have robust scale structure with four domains: Life Productivity, Psychological Health, Relationships and Life outlook. Internal consistency was adequate (0.93 for overall, 0.75-0.93 for subscales), and construct and knowngroups validity were supported. Conclusion: The AAQoL appears to be a valid measure of quality of life for adults with ADHD and can be considered for incorporation into future studies. The ability to quantify the quality-of-life consequences of adult ADHD should facilitate future research, assist clinicians in identifying appropriate treatment targets and contribute to the ultimate goal of improving the well-being and functioning of adults with ADHD.
ISSN:0962-9343
1573-2649
DOI:10.1007/s11136-005-8325-z