DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview that is semistructured designed to enhance ADHD assessment in adults. This study aims at evaluating the validity of the criterion used to determine 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
ADD/ADHD symptoms impact all aspects of our lives, from relationships to career advancement and the everyday tasks we have to perform. This is why it's crucial that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach, looking at how symptoms impact all areas of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been proven to be highly sensitive and specific. It is highly effective at identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic test available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA A trained professional usually psychologists or psychiatrists will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The psychologist will also look into the individual's history and examine their childhood experiences and how those may have influenced their behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge in a flash, they manifest throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively detect those suffering from ADHD, as it takes into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood and how the symptoms have affected an person's daily functioning in five areas of life - education, work, family/partner relations and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Contrary to this other screening tools, like the WURS-brief which was compared with the CAADID, showed poor sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to assess the symptoms and their causes. This can be done through an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurocognitive. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms can have on a person's job and daily life. This can be assessed by using a structured interview, the DIVA and, in some cases, asking for information from relatives and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned for use with adult patients in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in a clinical sample of adult patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood, as well as the age at which symptoms onset, and the extent of impairment caused by those symptoms. The clinician also collects a variety of sociodemographic information and inquires about any psychosis-related co-morbidity.
Patients were assessed for psychiatric co-morbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 as well as the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was established by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to assess symptoms in both the early years and in childhood, and 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. The diagnostic tool was demonstrated to have good concordance with the WURS scale and fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating instruments: 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 DIVA-5's diagnostic accuracy was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnoses that were made by two 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 could be in a variety of aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide treatment options that improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A licensed psychologist (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will have an organized conversation with you using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. This will consist of standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity. It will also explore your personal history, including childhood experiences, in order to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This is essential to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This will help us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been shown to have good criterion valid when compared to self-report scales such as Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. diva assessment for adhd has good consistency with these scales and fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to traditional methods for testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest in childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to look at the effects of co-occurring disorders on the manifestation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an in-depth analysis of your symptoms and to determine if there are any differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid conditions, like depression or anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life and provide explanations for lingering difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. A good evaluation does require the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized and comprehensive tool that helps to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other disorders which may have similar symptoms for adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact an individual's life and functioning in various settings. This information can be used to make an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and has shown high sensitivity when compared with the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It also has a high degree of validity when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work as well as relationships, family and home social contact; free time and leisure.
To be able to conduct an authentic DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated, their family members and friends must be present. This helps build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who is skilled in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a comprehensive report. The report will detail the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based on evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you or someone you love might have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessments and can give a thorough assessment. She can refer you to a specialist who will formulate an appropriate treatment strategy. Please be aware that an amalgamation of psychotherapy and medication is the recommended treatment.