DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to improve ADHD assessment in adults. This study will evaluate the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent validity compared to Conners Adult ADHD Diagnosis Interview for DSM-IV criteria.
Compared to the top 20 attributes, DIVA attributes that correlate strongest with diagnosis are attention deficit for both childhood and adulthood and hyperactivity/impulsivity for adults, followed by CAARS ADHD TT1 score and IOWA personality disorders evaluation.
Symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD can affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships and career progression to the everyday tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach by examining how symptoms affect every aspect of our lives. During your evaluation, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting details of your symptoms and health history. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured interview that examines both the primary symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing instrument designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been proven to have sound sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying those who have the disorder. It is able to raise awareness of, and diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults with ADHD available in the country.
To perform the DIVA, a trained clinician usually psychologist or psychiatrist will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look into the person's past and examine their childhood experiences and how those may influence their present behavior. The symptoms of ADHD don't appear in a flash. They appear over a long period of time from childhood through teen years and then into adulthood.
The DIVA can be used to detect ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria during childhood and into adulthood, and how these symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning across five areas - employment, education relations with family/partners social activities/leisure, as well as confidence and self-esteem. Contrary to this other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief, which was compared to the CAADID, showed poor sensitivity and negative predictive values.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to assess the symptoms and their causes. This can be done with an extensive interview about childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurological. It is also crucial to consider the effects of the symptoms the person's work and life. This can be evaluated using a structured clinical interview, called the DIVA and, in certain cases, obtaining information from friends and family members.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been updated for use with adult patients in other countries including Korea. This study evaluated the validity of the criterion used to determine the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in an adult clinical sample with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also ask the age of onset of symptoms and the level of impairment caused by these symptoms. The doctor will also collect a variety of sociodemographic information and ask about any psychiatric-related co-morbidity.
The MINI-S as well as Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was established by two experienced psychiatrists who used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to evaluate symptoms in both adulthood and childhood and determine the duration of these symptoms.
The sensitivity and specificity of DIVA-5 was found to be high for both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms in childhood and adulthood. This diagnostic tool has good concurrent validity when compared to the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments: the ASRS (self-report rating), FAB (self-report rating), and Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The sensitivity and specificity of the DIVA-5 was found to be high for all subtypes of ADHD in both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in adulthood and during childhood. The accuracy of diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with that of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your daily life. It can affect many areas from your relationships, academic progress and work to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses, and also provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will include asking standard questions about your levels hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also look into your personal history including your childhood experiences to create an accurate picture of your symptoms.
This approach is crucial to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This allows us to better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been proven to have good criterion valid when compared to self-report scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these scales, and fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to more traditional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood it focuses on identifying signs that manifest in childhood and into adulthood. assessed for adhd improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows a more accurate comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the effects of coexisting disorders on symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist does not recommend medication, you may require an appointment with a Psychiatrist or a Paediatrician to discuss further evaluation and/or treatment. You may be referred to an expert psychologist for a more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring or different diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety or depression. This will help your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing and provide explanations for lingering issues and opening doors to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also helps identify patterns of behavior that persist and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct an organized interview to ask a series questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the individual in different settings. This information is then used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and shows high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief and CAA-DID as well as an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has excellent validity when measuring ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education; relationships; home and family social interactions; leisure time and hobbies.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the individual being evaluated and their close family members and their friends. This will help build trust and a strong therapeutic connection, which is essential to the success of your assessment.
A psychiatrist or psychologist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write an in-depth professional report. This report will outline the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based on evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an assessment. She will refer you to a specialist who will formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Be aware that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is the best treatment.