DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview designed to enhance ADHD assessments for adults. This study is designed to assess the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction 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 affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships to advancement in our careers and the daily tasks we perform. This is why it's crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach and look at how the symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by obtaining details of your symptoms and health background. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and how they have affected your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing instrument designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity. It is also highly effective in identifying individuals suffering from the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness and diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
To perform the DIVA, a trained clinician usually psychologists or psychiatrists will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look into the individual's history by looking at their early experiences and how they could influence their present behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge in a flash, they manifest throughout one's childhood, teen years, and even into adulthood.
The DIVA can detect ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in the early years and later in adulthood, and how these symptoms affect the individual's daily functioning across five different areas: education, employment relations with family/partners, social activities/leisure, and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief that was compared with the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the symptoms and their causes. This can be done through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of the neurological. It is also essential to assess the effects of the symptoms on the person's work and life. This can be determined conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in certain instances, obtaining information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is an interview that is semi-structured and 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) in a clinical sample consisting of adults suffering from 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 degree of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The doctor also collects a variety of sociodemographic information and asks about any mental health co-morbidity.
MINI-S and Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) as well as the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two experienced psychiatrists who used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to determine the severity of symptoms in 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 concurrent validity with the WURS scale, and fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating 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 diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to the accuracy of a diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD it could significantly affect your life. It can affect many aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple task of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and difficulties, as well as provide treatment options that improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, will conduct a structured discussion with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will consist of standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to gain a complete understanding of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This is essential to ensure a complete 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 diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. linked website has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared to 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 good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to traditional methods for assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that are present in the teen years and in adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to consider the impact of co-occurring disorders on manifestation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist does not prescribe medication, you might need to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist or a Paediatrician to discuss further evaluation and/or treatment. They can refer you to an expert Psychologist for more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there are any differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and depression. This will help your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It can provide answers to long-standing problems and opens the way 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 adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at various stages of life. It also identifies patterns of behavior that are persistent and aids in distinguishing between ADHD symptoms and other disorders like depression or anxiety.
In the course of a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a doctor will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine the extent to which they affect the person in various settings. This information can then be used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity in comparison to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has excellent reliability in assessing ADHD in five areas of daily function such as education and work, relationships with family and home social interactions, free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an accurate DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family and friends need to be present. This will help to build trust and a therapeutic bond that is essential for the success of the assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed, professional report. This report will present the findings of the test and provide a treatment strategy that is based on the evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you think 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 a referral to a specialist to develop an effective treatment plan. Be aware that the recommended treatment approach is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.