Estimation of Sensitivity, Specificity and Predictive Power of Tests for the Detection of Malingered ADHD, Drawn from the Published Literature: A Method for Clinicians Who Routinely Evaluate ADHD

Memorial Union Ballroom 214C

Given the high prevalence of malingered ADHD, clinical decision-making should benefit from the wealth of empirical literature. However, not all relevant published research is directly applicable to real-world detection of malingered ADHD. We address (a) obstacles to clinicians use of published malingering research, (b) common translational roadblocks arising from the design of published studies, and (c) critical statistical considerations (e.g., in-study versus local base rate of malingering) in clinical application of published research. We propose and test a simple method to estimate diagnostic accuracy of malingering detection methods using data from recent published studies. We additionally review possible sources of error to consider when using this method.