ADHD Traits in German School-Aged Children: Validation of the German Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHS Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN-DE) Scale

OBJECTIVE: The Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHS-Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) Scale has been developed to support the dimensional assessment of ADHD symptoms by capturing variance on both poles of the ADHD continuum. The present study provides the first validation of the German version of SWAN (SWAN-DE).

METHOD: Based on a sample of N1 = 343 children from the general population and N2 = 62 children with ADHD, both aged between 8 and 18 years, normality, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and different validity indices were examined.

RESULTS: SWAN was characterized by normally distributed scores, good to excellent reliability, and factorial validity. It showed high diagnostic utility in discriminating between patients with ADHD and healthy controls and significant correlations to related clinical scales and neuropsychological constructs, such as intra-subject variability.

CONCLUSION: The present study reveals the excellent psychometric properties of SWAN-DE, which can now be usefully applied in the German-speaking countries as well as in cross-national studies.