Associations between parent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and later child PTSS: Results from an international data archive.

The extant literature indicates that parent and child posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated. However, the magnitude of this association at different time points and in the context of covariates has been difficult to quantify due to the methodological limitations of past studies, including small sample sizes. Using data from the Prospective studies of Acute Child Trauma and Recovery Data Archive, we harmonized participant-level parent and child data from 16 studies (N = 1,775 parent-child dyads) that included prospective assessment of PTSS during both the acute and later posttrauma periods (i.e., 1-30 days and 3-12 months after exposure to a potentially traumatic event, respectively). Parent and child PTSS demonstrated small-to-moderate cross-sectional, ρs = .22-.27, 95% CI [.16, .32], and longitudinal associations, ρ = .30, CI [.23, .36]. Analyses using actor-partner interdependence models revealed that parent PTSS during the acute trauma period predicted later child PTSS. Regression analyses demonstrated that parent gender did not moderate the association between parent and child PTSS. The findings suggest that parent PTSS during the acute and later posttrauma periods may be one of a constellation of risk factors and indicators for child PTSS.

A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Lisdexamfetamine in the Treatment of Comorbid Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Adult ADHD.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of lisdexamfetamine (LDX) versus placebo on behavioral attributes of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and SCT.Methods: In a randomized crossover trial conducted January 2016-April 2018, 38 adults with DSM-5 ADHD (via the Adult ADHD Clinical Diagnostic Scale v1.2) and SCT were recruited at 2 academic medical centers and assessed for symptoms of ADHD, SCT, executive function deficits, and functional impairment at baseline and weekly during treatment. Participants received 4 weeks of treatment with either LDX (30-70 mg/d; mean = 59.1 ± 14.8 mg/d) or matching placebo (mean = 66.6 ± 9.1 mg/d) with a 2-week washout before switching to the other arm. The ADHD Rating Scale and Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV SCT subscale were coprimary outcome measures.Results: There were moderately large treatment effects of LDX vs placebo on SCT ratings in both treatment periods (block 1 effect size = 0.68; block 2 effect size = 0.61), which reached significance only in block 1 owing to carryover effects of the first treatment epoch into the second. Significant effects were also seen for LDX over placebo in ADHD, executive function deficit, and functional impairment ratings, without order effects; no site differences were seen except on the Global Executive Complex score of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version. No moderating effects of sex, age, race, and ethnicity were seen.Conclusions: Adults with ADHD and comorbid SCT had significant improvement after LDX vs placebo in ratings of SCT, ADHD, executive function deficits, and functional impairment. This is the first study to show improvement in SCT after stimulant therapy in adults with ADHD.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02635035.

The Relationship Between Executive Function Deficits and DSM-5-Defined ADHD Symptoms.

Objectives: To identify the relationship between the core Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) ADHD symptoms and executive function deficits (EFDs), to evaluate ADHD characteristics of those with executive dysfunction (ED), and to examine the predictive utility of the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) in identifying those with adult ADHD and ED. Method: Two samples (referred and primary care practice) were pooled together for present analysis. Results: Final analysis included 297 respondents, 171 with adult ADHD. Spearman correlation coefficients and binary logistic regressions demonstrated that ADHD inattentive (IA) and hyperactive-impulsive (H-I) symptoms were moderately to strongly correlated with and highly predictive of EFDs. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an AISRS DSM 18-item score of ⩾ 28 was most predictive of clinical ED. Conclusion: ADHD symptoms were strongly correlated with and predictive of EFDs, clinicians should screen adults with ADHD for EFDs and ADHD treatment providers should track EFD improvement in addition to DSM-5 ADHD symptoms.

Validation of the Expanded Versions of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale v1.1 Symptom Checklist and the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale.

Objective: The aim of this study is to validate the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) expanded versions, including executive function deficits (EFDs) and emotional dyscontrol (EC) items, and to present ASRS and AISRS pilot normative data. Method: Two patient samples (referred and primary care physician [PCP] controls) were pooled together for these analyses. Results: Final analysis included 297 respondents, 171 with adult ADHD. Cronbach's alphas were high for all sections of the scales. Examining histograms of ASRS 31-item and AISRS 18-item total scores for ADHD controls, 95% cutoff scores were 70 and 23, respectively; histograms for pilot normative sample suggest cutoffs of 82 and 26, respectively. Conclusion: (a) ASRS- and AISRS-expanded versions have high validity in assessment of core 18 adult ADHD Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) symptoms and EFD and EC symptoms. (b) ASRS (31-item) scores 70 to 82 and AISRS (18-item) scores from 23 to 26 suggest a high likelihood of adult ADHD.

The Adult ADHD Quality Measures Initiative.

Objective: Quality measures (QMs; also known as Quality Indicators) quantify health care processes, outcomes, patient perceptions, and organizational structure and/or systems that are relevant to the provision of high-quality health care. We describe the first phase of a project that has as its ultimate goal the creation and validation of QMs for tracking the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical follow-up of adults with ADHD. This will fill an important gap in the field of Adult ADHD because QMs for adult ADHD do not exist. Method: We followed the guidelines of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for the development of QMs. These guidelines call for two phases: (1) Identify Candidate QMs and (2) Assess Candidate QMs. This article describes the results of our Phase 1 activities. To generate QMs for adult ADHD, we took the following steps: (a) searched the clinical/research literature for adult ADHD QMs; (b) convened a multidisciplinary panel comprising clinical and research experts and had them brainstorm potential QMs in the areas of screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, care coordination, and patient experience; (c) compared these QMs with existing guidelines for adult ADHD to see if any potential QMs had been missed, this led to a draft list of 46 QMs; (d) had 28 ADHD experts rate the importance, reliability, validity, feasibility, and usability of the QMs. Results: The literature review found several QMs for ADHD in youth but none for ADHD in adults. The brainstorming session generated 52 QMs. The survey showed that all of these QMs were highly rated but that there was sufficient variability in ratings to prioritize some QMs over others. Conclusion: Based on these results, we prioritized QMs to carry forward into the next phase of the project. This work fills an important gap for the clinical care of adult patients with ADHD and helps to set a precedent for mental health, which has lagged behind other areas of medicine in developing QMs.

Test-retest reliability of the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) v1.1 Screener in non-ADHD controls from a primary care physician practice.

Objectives: To examine the test-retest reliability of the DSM-IV Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) v1.1 Screener in adults without ADHD. Prior studies have not examined test-retest reliability of the Screener in non-ADHD controls. Methods: Subjects completed the Screener in a primary care physician (PCP) waiting room (T1); those who screened negative for ADHD (n = 104) (<4/6 significant Screener items) symptoms were further assessed on the phone (T2). T2 included phone administration of the full ASRS v1.1 Symptom Checklist (which contains the six items from the Screener). Spearman's correlations and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) between T1 and T2 were calculated for the total Screener score and for each Screener item. McNemar-Bowker tests were conducted for the Screener total score and each item to check for significant changes from T1 to T2. Results: Screener T1 and T2 total scores were significantly correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.78, P < 0.0001), as were individual items. Correlations remained significant when controlling for a variety of demographic factors and psychiatric conditions. Confirming the significant Spearman correlations, ICCs for Screener total score and each item were also significant (ICC = 0.75, P < 0.0001). The McNemar-Bowker tests showed no significant differences for Screener total score and for the IA items; however, the H-I items were somewhat higher at T1 versus T2. Conclusions: The DSM-IV ASRS v1.1 Screener has high test-retest reliability in patients without ADHD.

How Informative Are Self-Reported Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms? An Examination of the Agreement Between the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale V1.1 and Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Investigator Symptom Rating Scale.

OBJECTIVES: Assess agreement between self-ratings via the adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS)-v1.1 Symptom Checklist and clinician ratings via the adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) expanded version using DSM-5 adult ADHD patients (referred sample) and ADHD controls (recruited from a primary care physician practice). METHODS: The ASRS v1.1 Symptom Checklist was administered to measure self-reported ADHD symptoms and impairment, the Adult ADHD Clinical Diagnostic Scale v1.2 was used to establish an adult ADHD diagnosis and the childhood and adult/current sections of the scale were used to provide scores to measure symptoms of childhood ADHD and recent symptoms of adult ADHD, the AISRS to measure ADHD current symptom severity. RESULTS: Participants (n = 299; range 18-58), of which 171 were ADHD+ and 128 ADHD-. ASRS and AISRS total scores and individual subsections examining inattention, hyperactivity, emotional dysfunction (EF), and emotional dyscontrol (EC) were all significantly correlated (Spearman's ρ's = 0.78-0.89, ps < 0.01). Correlations remained significant when controlling for demographic factors and psychiatric conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The ASRS (self) and AISRS (clinician rated) scales have high agreement. This agreement extended not only the to the core 18 DSM symptoms, but also to the additional 13 symptoms that examine EC and EF.

Luxury for the masses.

Increasingly wide income disparities, higher levels of education, and greater awareness of other cultures' ideas of the good life have given rise to a new class of American consumer. And a new category of products and services, including automobiles, apparel, food, wine, and spirits, has sprung into being to cater to it. That category is called new luxury. America's middle-market consumers are trading up to higher levels of quality and taste than ever before. Members of the middle market (those earning $50,000 and above annually) collectively have around $1 trillion of disposable income. And they will pay premiums of 20% to 200% for well-designed, well-engineered, and well-crafted goods that can't be found in the mass middle market and that have the artisanal touches of traditional luxury items. Most important, even when they address basic necessities, such goods evoke and engage consumers' emotions while feeding their aspirations for a better life. Supply-side forces are essential to the rise of new luxury. Like the consumers of their goods, entrepreneurs are better educated and more sophisticated about their customers than ever before. In addition, global sourcing, falling trade barriers and transportation costs, and rising offshore manufacturing standards are making possible the economical production of alluring products of high quality. Unlike old-luxury goods, new-luxury products can generate high sales volumes despite their relatively high prices. As a result, new-luxury companies are achieving levels of profitability and growth beyond the reach of their conventional competitors. Whether the item in question is a $6 Panera sandwich or a $30,000 Mercedes, new luxury is a formula that middle-market companies, facing erosion of their market share by high-end and low-end producers, can ill afford to ignore.