The Compensatory ADHD Behaviors Scale (CABS): Development and Initial Validation

Abstract

Several measures are available that assess inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and executive functioning deficits. Treatments for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and skill-based academic interventions focus on improving compensatory strategies to ameliorate functional impairment; however, no measure exists that examines the compensatory behaviors adults utilize to compensate for the functional deficits associated with inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. The current study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Compensatory ADHD Behaviors Scale (CABS). Five-hundred participants ( M = 36.83, SD = 11.57) completed measures of ADHD symptomatology, executive functioning, functional impairment, mood disorder symptoms, and the CABS. Analyses revealed that scales assessing both use and effectiveness of compensatory behaviors subscales had similar factor structures, reflecting present- and future-oriented behaviors. The present-, but not future-oriented, behaviors significantly related to ADHD symptomatology, executive dysfunction, and functional impairment; effectiveness of present-oriented compensatory behaviors demonstrated incremental validity in predicting impairment. Compensatory strategies may be a useful variable to measure when examining functional impairment associated with inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. The current study provides preliminary evidence of the ability of CABS to validly measure various strategies associated with (clinical and subclinical) ADHD symptomatology, executive functioning, and overall impairment.

The Chinese Version of the Compensatory ADHD Behaviors Scale (CABS): A Study on Reliability, Validity, and Clinical Utility

“…Because of the one-to-one correspondence between the use and effectiveness of CABS, this study, like Dr. P. Castagna’s study, analyzed the use and effectiveness scales in parallel. 24 …”

“…In 2019, in order to measure the compensatory behaviors in adult ADHD, Castagna et al developed then validated the Compensatory ADHD Behaviors Scale (CABS) in the USA. 24 Currently, there are no studies validating the reliability and validity of the CABS scale in other countries. The CABS contained a variety of organizational planning and behavioral management methods, which could be divided into two major modules.…”

“…And the study also found that present-oriented, but not future-oriented, compensatory behaviors were associated with ADHD symptoms, executive function (EF) deficits, and total functional impairment. 24 …”

The Clinical Utility of the NAB Judgment Subtest Among Individuals Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder Within a Forensic Inpatient Setting

“…Awareness of an individual’s EF deficits can serve to inform treatment, as clinicians can more specifically tailor therapeutic strategies to best serve a patient’s needs (Barkley, 2014; Mohlman & Gorman, 2005). Additionally, measures of EF are suggested to be some of the most effective measures of adaptive functioning (Chaytor et al, 2006) and have demonstrated good ecological validity in predicting functional impairment (Barkley & Fischer, 2011; Castagna et al, 2019; Chaytor et al, 2006). Given that previous studies have implicated aspects of EF as possible predictors of LOS among individuals deemed IST (A.…”

Normative and Maladaptive Personality Traits and Self-Reported Executive Functioning

“…EF can be assessed using performance-based measures or self-report measures of EF problems in daily life. These self-report measures assess multiple domains of EF in daily life (e.g., organization, time management) and have demonstrated good ecological validity in predicting functional impairment as assessed by self-report, informant-rated, and clinician-rated measures (Barkley & Fischer, 2011; Castagna et al, 2019; Chaytor et al, 2006). Although performance-based and self-report measures are only modestly correlated (Dehili et al, 2017; Toplak et al, 2013), both are used as measures of EF in neuropsychological assessment (Rabin et al, 2016).…”