Validity of a German version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) in a child sample with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Abstract

Executive dysfunctions are a core symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Nonetheless, there is a lack of diagnostic instruments for the parent and/or teacher assessment of children’s executive (dys-) functions that are psychometrically robust and available in German language. The main aim of this work is to validate the psychometric structure of the German-language version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) on a sample of 149 children, aged between 6 and 10 years with and without ADHD. The results are promising and confirmthe two-factor-structure of the original work (i.e., Behavior Regulation Index,Metacognition Index). Importantly, the German version of the BRIEF was found to be of high diagnostic sensitivity. Rates of Sensitivity (76 %) and specifity (84 %) for classification of children into those with and without ADHS were reached by using the Global Executive Composite Score.