Wender Utah Rating Scale Explained

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.

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]}

See also

• Diagnostic classification and rating scales used in psychiatry

Notes and References

1. Ward MF, Wender PH, Reimherr FW . The Wender Utah Rating Scale: an aid in the retrospective diagnosis of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . The American Journal of Psychiatry . 150 . 6 . 885–90 . June 1993 . 8494063 . 10.1176/ajp.150.6.885.
2. Gift TE, Reimherr ML, Marchant BK, Steans TA, Reimherr FW . Wender Utah Rating Scale: Psychometrics, clinical utility and implications regarding the elements of ADHD . Journal of Psychiatric Research . 135 . 181–188 . March 2021 . 33493947 . 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.013.
3. Web site: Das . Dibash . Study Supports Using WURS and ASRS Jointly to Assess Adult ADHD . Psychiatry Advisor . 28 April 2020 . 14 January 2024.
4. Brevik EJ, Lundervold AJ, Haavik J, Posserud MB . Validity and accuracy of the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) symptom checklists in discriminating between adults with and without ADHD . Brain and Behavior . 10 . 6 . e01605 . June 2020 . 32285644 . 7303368 . 10.1002/brb3.1605.