DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semistructured interview developed to improve ADHD assessment for adults. This study is aimed at assessing the validity of the criteria used in 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 affect all aspects of our lives, from relationships to career advancement, and the daily tasks we do. It is essential that our ADHD assessment takes a comprehensive approach, looking at how the symptoms impact all aspects of life. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will begin by obtaining details about your symptoms as well as health history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-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 high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist will inquire about the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsive nature. getting an assessment for adhd will also analyze the background of the person, including their childhood experiences and the impact on their current behaviours. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout one's childhood, teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify people 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 the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life: education and work, family/partnership relations and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and self-confidence. 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 background. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms and a neurological assessment. It is crucial to think about the impact that these symptoms have on the person's work and life. This can be evaluated using a structured interview, the DIVA and, in certain cases, asking for information from family 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 revised for use in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in an adult clinical sample with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and into adulthood, the age at which the symptoms begin to manifest, and the severity of impairment resulting from those symptoms. The clinician also collects a wide range of sociodemographic data and asks about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
The MINI-S plus 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 determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the DIVA-5, a structured diagnostic interview, to evaluate 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. This diagnostic tool was shown to have good compatibility with the WURS scale as well as 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 the DIVA-5's diagnostics was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnoses given by two psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools like the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD it can greatly impact your life. This could be in a variety of aspects, from relationships to academic and work progress to the basic tasks of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms.
A qualified clinician (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct an organized conversation with you using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. This will include asking standard 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 get a full picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This approach is essential to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. It also allows us to understand the root causes of your symptoms, which will help inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been proven to have good criterion valid when compared to self-report scales, such as the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales, and has fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to more traditional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood it focuses on identifying signs that are present in the teen years and in adulthood. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the effects of coexisting disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. You can be referred an expert psychologist for a more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid conditions, like depression or anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist an appropriate 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. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, can help to improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at different life stages. It also identifies patterns of behavior that are persistent and aids in distinguishing between ADHD symptoms and other disorders like depression or anxiety.
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 the tendency to be impulsive. diva assessment for adhd assesses the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine the extent to which they affect the person in various situations. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and shows high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and the assessment of a psychiatrist. It also has high accuracy when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work; relationships; home and family social interactions; free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being assessed and their family members and friends must be present. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A psychiatrist or psychologist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an extensive professional report. This report will outline the results of the assessment and recommend a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you think you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an evaluation. self assessment adhd test will refer you to an expert who will create a treatment strategy. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.