DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study will evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact every aspect of our lives from relationships and career progression to the daily tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach by examining how symptoms affect all aspects 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, structured interview that examines both the primary symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool developed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to have a high sensitivity to sound and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to increase awareness of, and the diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
A trained and experienced clinician, typically a psychiatrist will ask questions to determine the primary symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The psychologist will also analyze the history of the individual, including 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 through teen years and into adulthood.
The DIVA can efficiently identify those with ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how these symptoms have affected an individual's daily functioning in five areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations, social activities/leisure time, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. In comparison other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief, which was compared to the CAADID, showed poor sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults it is important that you evaluate the symptoms and their background. This can be done by a comprehensive interview about childhood symptoms as well as a neurocognitive assessment. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms can have on a person's work and daily life. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, also known as the DIVA and, in certain instances, getting information from family members and friends.
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 looked at the criterion validity of 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 and in adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the level of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician also collects wide range of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychosis-related co-morbidity.
Patients were assessed for psychiatric co-morbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to assess symptoms in both childhood and adulthood, and to 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 with the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared with 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 formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line both 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. how do i get assessed for adhd can affect your relationships, academic progress, and work. It can also impact the way you organize your day-to-day activities. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and difficulties, as well as provide treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
A licensed clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct a structured interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. It will ask you standard questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. It will also dig into your personal history and your childhood experiences to create a complete picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This approach is essential to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us identify the root cause of your symptoms, which will help determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment is a highly effective way of diagnosing adult ADHD, with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been shown to have sound criterion validity when compared with self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these scales and has good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary to the more conventional methods used to assess ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that occur both during childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and allowing for an accurate comparison between the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to consider the effects of co-occurring conditions on the presentation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe medication, it may be necessary to set up an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. You may be referred to psychologists who specialize in more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid disorders, such as anxiety or depression. This will help your Psychologist suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing, offering explanations for long-standing difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of qualified medical professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by analyzing symptoms at various stages of life. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and other conditions which may have similar symptoms for adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct an organized interview to ask a series of questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The doctor evaluates the intensity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the individual in different settings. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA test is confirmed in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity in comparison to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has a high degree of validity when measuring ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work; relationships; home and family social interactions; leisure time and hobbies.
For an accurate DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated as well as their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and create a strong therapeutic bond, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who is certified in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment will be able to provide a detailed report. The report will detail the findings of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
If you think you or a loved one might have ADHD Contact us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can perform an assessment. She will then make a referral to specialists to design an effective treatment strategy. Be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.