Diagnostic efficiency of the SDQ for parents to identify ADHD in the UK: a ROC analysis

Background - Early, accurate identification of ADHD would improve outcomes while avoiding unnecessary medication exposure for non-ADHD youths, but is challenging, especially in primary care.The aim of this paper is to test the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) using a nationally representative sample to develop scoring weights for clinical use. Method - The British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (N=18,232 youths 5 to 15 years old) included semi-structured interview DSM-IV diagnoses and parent-rated SDQ scores. Results - Areas Under the Curve (AUCs) for SDQ subscales were good (0.81) to excellent (0.96) across sex and age groups. Hyperactive/Impulsive scores of 10+ increased odds of ADHD by 21.3x. For discriminating ADHD from other diagnoses, accuracy was fair (