Diagnostic Value and Discriminant Validity of the Wender-Utah Rating Scale for the Identification of Conner's Adult Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale Measurements in a Sample of Thieves and Normal People

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can lead to high-risk behaviors, and the use of a tool that is capable of diagnosing ADHD symptoms in delinquent populations is inevitable. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic value and discriminant validity of the Wender-Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25) in a group of thieves with and without ADHD symptomology and normal individuals with a definite lack of ADHD diagnosis based on Connerchr('39')s Adult ADHD Rating Scale.

In a validation study in Rasht Central Prison, in 2015-2016, 100 prisoners committed theft, and 70 normal individuals were selected as the sample. Tools included WURS-25, Connerchr('39')s Adult ADHD Rating Scale, Social Adjustment Scale, and Perceived Stress Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using discriminant analysis, chi-square test, multivariate and univariate analysis of variance/covariance, and Fisherchr('39')s least significant difference test.

Discriminant analysis showed that WURS-25 could distinguish symptoms of ADHD in three groups of thieves with and without ADHD symptomology and normal individuals from each other, and its overall classification accuracy is equal to 64.1%; although a large proportion of thieves without symptomology were ignored. Also, after controlled analyzes, the mean of scores social adjustment components was significantly greater in thieves with symptomology than in other groups, and for stress in thieves with symptomology than in normal individuals, with considering cut-off points of 36, 39 and 46.

WURS-25 has an acceptable screening performance in thieves with ADHD symptomology Therefore, it can be used to identify susceptible individuals and evaluate the outcome of therapeutic interventions in delinquent populations.