The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, or ASRS, is a questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization with researchers at Harvard and New York University to screen for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults. The full version has 18 questions that mirror the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, covering inattention, such as trouble finishing projects and losing things, and hyperactivity or impulsivity, such as fidgeting, restlessness and interrupting. You rate how often each happened over the past six months, from never to very often. A six-question short form, called the ASRS Part A or screener, captures the items that best predict a diagnosis and takes about two minutes.
The screener is scored by counting how many answers fall in the shaded, clinically significant range; four or more suggests symptoms consistent with adult ADHD and warrants a full evaluation. The ASRS is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. ADHD requires that symptoms began in childhood, show up in more than one setting, and are not better explained by anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, substance use or thyroid problems, all of which can mimic inattention. A proper evaluation therefore includes a detailed history, often input from a family member or old school records, and screening for these other conditions. At Stedfast Psychiatry the ASRS is part of our adult ADHD evaluation, alongside a clinical interview and, when useful, rating scales from someone who knows you well.