• Table G.1. CAARS 2 Symptom Count and Criterion Status Score Requirements for DSM ADHD Inattentive Symptoms
• Table G.2. CAARS 2 Symptom Count and Criterion Status Score Requirements for DSM ADHD Hyperactive/Impulsive Symptoms

This appendix provides crosswalk tables listing the intended correspondence between the Criterion A symptoms listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2022) and the specific items in the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales 2nd Edition (CAARS™ 2). This appendix also outlines the scoring criteria used for calculating Symptom Counts from the CAARS 2 DSM Symptom Scales and provides additional interpretive considerations.

Each of the 18 DSM-5-TR symptoms of ADHD (9 Inattentive and 9 Hyperactive/Impulsive) is represented on the CAARS 2 DSM Symptom Scales. These CAARS 2 items are used to calculate a T-score, percentile, and Symptom Count for each of the categories (Inattentive, Hyperactive/Impulsive). Please see chapter 4, Interpretation, and appendix E for a description of how the T-scores are calculated. The points below outline the conditions governing when a symptom is “counted” toward a CAARS 2 Symptom Count:

• Most DSM symptoms are represented by single CAARS 2 items. These are counted when endorsed at or above an item score of 2 (“Pretty much true/Often/Quite a bit'”). In some instances, a pair of CAARS 2 items was created to capture the complexity of a DSM symptom. These item pairs are generally governed by “or” logic, in that either of the items can suggest the presence of a symptom, so the endorsement of either item is sufficient for the symptom to be counted (that is, endorsement of X or Y contributes to a Symptom Count).
  
  
• One of the DSM symptomatic criteria (Inattention 1d) requires the endorsement of both items (“and” logic) to fulfill the language of the DSM symptom. In other words, for the symptom to be counted, both X and Y must be endorsed, with at least one item of the pair endorsed at or above 2 and the other item endorsed at or above an item score of 1 (“Just a little true/Occasionally”).
  

The sum of counted symptoms for each CAARS 2 DSM Symptom Scale (i.e., ADHD Inattentive and ADHD Hyperactive/Impulsive) is the CAARS 2 Symptom Count, ranging from 0 to 9. Note that there is no “Combined” symptom count. The DSM-5-TR indicates that ADHD Combined Presentation can be considered when all criteria are met for both Criterion A1 (inattention) and Criterion A2 (hyperactivity-impulsivity). When both Symptom Counts are at or above 5 on the CAARS 2, it may be appropriate to consider a possible diagnosis of ADHD Combined Presentation (while heeding all caveats about responsible diagnosis; see Understanding DSM-Related Content on the CAARS 2 in chapter 4, Interpretation).

The following tables provide specific information about which CAARS 2 items represent which DSM-5-TR Criterion A symptoms; DSM ADHD Inattentive Symptoms are listed in Table G.1, and DSM ADHD Hyperactive/Impulsive Symptoms are listed in Table G.2. These tables also summarize the item-level score and logic involved in determining when CAARS 2 ratings count toward the Symptom Count. This appendix ends with interpretive considerations that apply to both tables.