The hierarchical factor model of ADHD: invariant across age and national groupings?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by problems with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The diagnosis derives from 18 symptoms indexing these behavioural domains [American Psychiatric Association (APA), DSM-IV-TR, 2000]. There is substantial continuity in maintaining a diagnosis of ADHD from childhood to adolescence (Faraone, Biederman, & Mick, 2006); however the phenotypic expression is highly variable within the diagnosed group and across time (Barkley, 2006; Nigg, 2006). Current diagnostic formulations distinguish between symptoms of inattention and those of hyperactivity-impulsivity. Three ADHD subtypes are recognized in the DSM-IV: the predominantly…