Wender Utah Rating Scale
Self-reported questionnaire used to assist in the diagnosis of ADHD in adults
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) is a psychological assessment tool used to help diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. It is a self-report questionnaire that asks individuals to retrospectively recall and rate the frequency and severity of symptoms they experienced during childhood that are characteristic of ADHD.[1][2] The assessment was released in 1993 after being developed by Paul H. Wender and his colleagues at the University of Utah School of Medicine.[1][2][3]
Versions
The WURS exists in two main versions:[2][3][4]
- WURS-61: The original 61-item version, which covers a wider range of symptoms and potential confounding factors.
- WURS-25: A shorter 25-item version designed for increased efficiency and ease of administration.
Translations
The WURS-61 and the condensed WURS-25 have been translated into several languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Swedish, Chinese, Turkish, and Persian.[5][6]
In 2002, a modified German short form of the WURS, WURS‑K (Kurzversion; also WURS‑G) was released. This 21-item scale shares 17 items with the WURS-25.[5][6][7]
Scoring
The Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) scores the same set of 25 questions in both the abbreviated version (WURS-25) and the extended version (WURS-61), which includes an additional 36 unscored questions. Respondents rate each question on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 points ("not at all or very slightly") to 4 points ("very much"). The cumulative score spans from 0 to 100. A cutoff score of 36 or higher was able to accurately identify 96% of adults with ADHD and 96% of adults without ADHD. When the cutoff score was raised to 46 or higher, the assessment was able to accurately identify 86% of adults with ADHD and 99% of adults without ADHD.[1][4]
For the German short form (WURS-K), a cutoff score of 30 or higher is typically used to indicate a childhood history of ADHD symptoms, demonstrating a retest reliability of 90%. While the WURS-K and WURS-25 are highly correlated, research indicates that their cutoff scores are not directly interchangeable due to the WURS-K containing fewer items and focusing more on antisocial behavior compared to the mood and self-esteem factors found in the WURS-25.[5][6][7]