DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview that was developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study is aimed at assessing the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction with 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
Symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect all aspects of life from relationships and career advancement to the daily tasks that are part of our lives. It is essential that our ADHD assessment is a holistic perspective, looking at how symptoms impact all aspects of life. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by obtaining information about your symptoms and health background. She will then conduct a 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 tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to have sound sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying people suffering from the disorder. It has the potential to raise awareness of, and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA the trained clinician typically a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD which include hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician will also analyze the history of the individual and their childhood experiences as well as their impact on their present behavior. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They develop over a time, from childhood to teen years and adulthood.
The DIVA can be used to detect ADHD due to its consideration of both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in the early years and later in adulthood and how these signs have affected the individual's daily functioning across five areas - employment, education and family/partner relationships, social activities/leisure, and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To determine ADHD in adults, it is crucial to assess the symptoms as well as their history. This can be accomplished through conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is important to consider the impact that the symptoms have on the person's job and daily life. This can be evaluated conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in some cases, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is an interview with a semi-structured format that was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been updated 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 a clinical sample consisting of patients with ADHD.
During get adhd assessment , the clinician asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, the time at which the symptoms first manifest, as well as the severity of impairment caused by those symptoms. The clinician will also collect a variety of sociodemographic information and inquire about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
The MINI-S as well as Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. Two psychiatrists with experience used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms both in adulthood and 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 to the WURS scale and has fair validity when compared to three self-report ratings instruments which 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 diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to that of a clinical diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools such as ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you're not aware of ADHD, it can significantly affect your life. This could be in a variety of areas from your relationships, academic and work progress to the simple task of organising daily living. get adhd assessment can help identify your strengths and weaknesses and provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A qualified clinician (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will consist of standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also dig into your personal history including childhood experiences to get a complete picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This approach is crucial for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This helps us better understand your symptoms and inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been shown to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion when compared to self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these scales and has reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to traditional methods for assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that are present in childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnoses and allows a more accurate comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to look at the effects of co-occurring disorders on appearance of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. You can be referred to a specialist psychologist for a more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions like depression and anxiety. This will help your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life and provide explanations for lingering problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a structured and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that are persistent and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the person in various 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 when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has a high degree of validity when assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning: work and education, relationships home and family social interactions, free time and hobbies.
A valid DIVA assessment requires participation from the person being evaluated as well as their close family members and close friends. This will help to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that is crucial to the success of the evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write an extensive, professional report. This report will outline the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based on evidence.
If you think you or a loved one may be suffering from ADHD, please contact us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an evaluation. She can refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment strategy. Please be aware that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.