DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview designed to improve ADHD assessments for adults. This study is designed to assess the criterion validity of 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.
Symptoms
ADD/ADHD symptoms impact all aspects of our lives, from relationships to career advancement, and the daily tasks we perform. This is why it's important that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach, looking at how symptoms affect every aspect of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess both the core symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. adhd assessment for women has been proven to be highly sensitive and specific. It is also extremely effective in identifying those with the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
A trained clinician, usually psychiatrists, will ask questions to determine the core symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. The clinician will also examine the history of the individual, including their childhood experiences and their influence on their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout one's childhood, teen years, and even into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively detect those suffering from ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood and how these symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning in five different areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and self-confidence. As a contrast other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared with the CAADID, showed poor sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is crucial to assess the signs and symptoms as well as their history. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms and a neurological examination. It is also crucial to look at the impact of the symptoms on the person's life and work. This can be assessed by conducting a structured interview, also known as the DIVA and, in some instances, getting information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned to be used with adult patients in other countries including Korea. This study evaluated the criterion validity of 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 ask the age of onset of symptoms and the extent of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician will also collect different sociodemographic information and inquire about any psychiatric co-morbidities.
MINI-S and Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. Two experienced psychiatrists used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms throughout adulthood and childhood and determined the duration 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. adhd assessment uk cost has good concurrent validity when compared to 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 the DIVA-5's diagnosis was found to be comparable to the accuracy of a clinical diagnoses given by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you're not aware of ADHD it could significantly impact your life. This can affect your relationships, academic performance, and work. It can also impact how you organize your daily life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatments that can improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A licensed clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct a structured interview with you regarding your symptoms currently using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve asking standardised questions regarding your levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It will also examine your personal history, including childhood experiences to give you the full picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This approach is crucial for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to understand the root causes of your symptoms, which can help determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also shown to have good criterion valid when compared to self-report scales such as Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concordance validity with these scales and fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
In contrast to the more conventional methods of assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment focuses on identifying and discussing symptoms that occur both during childhood and adulthood, thereby increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and enabling a more accurate comparison between the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to think about the effect of co-occurring conditions on the presentation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist does not recommend medication, you may require an appointment with a psychiatrist or Paediatrician for further evaluation and/or treatment. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring conditions, like anxiety or depression. This will allow your Psychologist to suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It offers solutions to persistent problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. A good evaluation does require the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of 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, such as depression or anxiety.
In the course of a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a doctor will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact on the individual's life and functioning in several settings. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and shows high sensitivity when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and the assessment of a psychiatrist. It also has high validity when measuring ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships, family and home social contact; free time and leisure.
For a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family members and friends must be present. This will help establish trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with experience with the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an extensive professional report. This report will outline the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based on the data.
Please contact us to set up 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 assessment. She can refer you to a specialist who will develop an appropriate treatment plan. Be aware that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.