Factor analysis of the Attention Deficit Scales for Adults (ADSA) with a clinical sample of outpatient substance abusers

Individuals with adult symptoms of ADHD who are in treatment for substance abuse have been identified as being at greater risk of failure to complete treatment and relapse. The identification of such clients must thus become an important part of assessment and treatment planning. The Attention Deficit Scale for Adults (ADSA) is one device designed to assess ADHD symptomology in adults. This study investigated the application of the ADSA in a substance-abusing population by assessing its psychometric properties with a clinical sample of 268 adult patients (170 males, 92 females, gender missing for 6) in an outpatient substance abuse treatment program. The findings indicate that the ADSA is unidimensional with this population yet possess high reliability (alpha = .93 for entire sample: .89 for males, .94 for females) and correlate consistently with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The data tentatively support the use of the ADSA with substance-abusing populations as a reliable and valid assessment tool for clinical use and research.