Assessment of hyperkinetic syndrome in adults

Abstract

The significance of hyperkinetic syndrome (HKS) in childhood as a vulnerability factor for mental disorders in adulthood is increasingly being discussed. Comorbidity manifesting in adulthood with substance abuse, delinquency, and personality disorders can be observed. Persistence of the syndrome as an independent adult disorder in a large proportion of affected children is under discussion. In a first German validation study examining these relationships, 164 patients were assessed using the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), a retrospective self-report instrument for assessing childhood HKS, and Eysenck's I7 Impulsiveness Questionnaire. It was shown that the WURS and I7 provide instruments for adults to assess the construct of hyperkinetic syndrome, particularly with regard to the components of attention disorder and impulsivity.