Abstract
Background: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is prevalent in homeless populations, but no studies have assessed the psychometric properties of assessment instruments for this population.
Methods: Self-other agreement on the ADHD Self-Rating Scale 6 was studied using a cohort of admissions to an outreach clinic for the homeless (n = 72). Alcohol use was assessed with the fast alcohol screening test. Other drug use was assessed by interview.
Results: For the six-item ASRS-6, the self-nurse correlation was .63 (p < .001). Discriminant correlations were low. Higher ASRS-6 scores as rated by both nurse and self-report were associated with illicit drug use but not alcohol problems. Concordance was lower at higher levels of alcohol problems (p < .05)
Conclusion: The observations of experienced nurses converge well with self-reported symptoms of ADHD. Further research is needed to assess the relative contribution of clinical observation and self-report in assessing homeless patients.