DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview designed to improve ADHD assessments in adults. This study will evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent 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 can affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day activities that comprise our lives. It is important that our ADHD assessment takes a comprehensive 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 that evaluates both the core symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to be extremely sensitive and specific. It is extremely effective in identifying those who have the disorder. It can help raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA, a trained clinician - often psychologists or psychiatrists will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor will also analyze the background of the person and their childhood experiences as well as their impact on their present behavior. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They develop over a period of time, from childhood to teen years and adulthood.
The DIVA can efficiently identify people suffering from ADHD, as it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood and how these symptoms have affected an person's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life: education work, family/partner relationships, family and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. As a contrast other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared to CAADID and showed low accuracy and negative predictive values.
Diagnosis
To determine ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the signs and symptoms along with their history. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview about childhood symptoms and a neurocognitive assessment. It is also crucial to consider the effects of the symptoms on the individual's life and work. This can be determined by conducting a structured interview, the DIVA and, in certain cases, obtaining information from friends and family members.
The DIVA is an interview that is semi-structured and was first developed for use with adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned 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 a clinical sample of adult patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood. They will also inquire about the age of onset of symptoms and the extent of impairment caused by these symptoms. assess adhd collects a wide range of sociodemographic data and asks about any mental health comorbidity.
MINI-S and Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. Two psychiatrists with experience employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms in adulthood as well as childhood and determined the length of 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 with the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared to three self-report ratings instruments that include 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with the accuracy of a diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your daily life. This can be in many aspects, from relationships to academic and work progress to the simple tasks of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and difficulties, and also provide solutions to help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
A licensed psychologist (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will conduct a structured discussion with you, using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will involve standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and an impulsiveness. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and their impact on your life.
This approach is crucial to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This will help us better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared with self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity 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. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also provides an opportunity to consider the impact of co-occurring disorders on appearance of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it could be necessary to schedule an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. You may be referred to psychologists who specialize in more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression. assessed for adhd will enable your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life and provide explanations for lingering issues and opening doors to effective treatment options. A good evaluation does require the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by analyzing symptoms at different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior and differentiates between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions which may have similar symptoms in adults, like depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an individual in different settings. This information can be utilized to establish a precise 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 the assessment of a psychiatrist. It also has excellent validity when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships with home and family social interactions; free time and leisure.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and friends. This will help establish trust and create a strong therapeutic connection, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A psychiatrist or psychologist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a detailed, professional report. This report will present the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment program that is based on the data.
If you think you or someone you love might be suffering from ADHD Contact us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an evaluation. She can then provide a referral to specialists to design an effective treatment strategy. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.