DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview designed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study aims to evaluate the validity of the criterion used in DIVA 2.0 and its concomitant validity in comparison with Conners Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID) 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 impact all aspects of life from relationships and career progression to the everyday activities that comprise our lives. It is essential that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic view, examining how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been shown to have sound sensitivity and specificity. It is also highly effective in identifying those with the disorder. It can help raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic test available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA the trained clinician - often psychologists or psychiatrists will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. The doctor will also look at the background of the person, including their childhood experiences as well as their impact on their current behaviours. adhd assessment women is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout one's childhood, teen years, and through adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify people suffering from ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD during childhood and into adulthood and how these symptoms have affected the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations, social activities/leisure time, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared with the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms and their history. This can be done with an extensive interview about childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurological. It is crucial to think about the impact these symptoms can have on a person's job and daily life. This can be evaluated conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in some cases, asking for information from relatives and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview originally designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned to be used by adults in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the criteria that is valid for the Korean version (DIVA-5) using an actual clinical sample of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, as well as the age at which the symptoms onset, and the extent of impairment resulting from those symptoms. The clinician also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and inquires about any mental health co-morbidity.
The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to screen for psychiatric co-morbidity. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was established by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to evaluate symptoms in both childhood and adulthood, and to determine the duration of those 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 was found to have good compatibility with the WURS scale, and fair concurrent validity with three self-report ratings instruments: the ASRS, FAB, 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools, such as ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. It can affect many areas, from relationships, academic and work progress to the simple tasks of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatment options that help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
A qualified clinician, typically psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. It will ask you standard questions regarding your levels of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences, to get a full picture of your symptoms and their impact on your life.
This is essential to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to determine the root of your symptoms, which helps guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is a highly efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been demonstrated to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion, when compared to self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has a good concordance with these scales, and has fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary to the more conventional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment focuses on identifying and discussing the symptoms that occur both during childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and allowing a more accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the effect of coexisting disorders on manifestation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to prescribe medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a pediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. You can be referred to a specialist psychologist for a more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety or depression. This will enable your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It provides answers to long-standing problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a structured and extensive tool, helps improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by analyzing symptoms at various stages of life. It also detects patterns of behavior that remain and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like depression or anxiety.
In the DIVA ADHD assessment, a doctor conducts an interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. The doctor evaluates the intensity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an person in various situations. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA test is confirmed in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity when compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has excellent reliability in it comes to assessing ADHD in five areas of daily function: work and education, relationships, home and family social connections, free time and hobby.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the individual being assessed as well as their closest family members and close friends. This will help build trust and create a strong therapeutic connection, which is essential to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a detailed professional report. This report will present the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an evaluation. She can then provide an appointment with a specialist to create an effective treatment strategy. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.