DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that was developed to improve ADHD assessments in adults. This study is aimed at assessing the validity of the criterion used to determine DIVA 2.0 and its concomitant validity 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. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach by examining how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will begin by obtaining details about your symptoms as well as health background. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing instrument designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been proven to be extremely sensitive and specific. It is also extremely effective in identifying individuals suffering from the disorder. It is able to increase awareness of, and the diagnosis of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA, a trained clinician usually a psychiatrist or psychologist - will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity, and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look into the person's past by looking at their early experiences and how they may have influenced their behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD aren't something that just happens to appear at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout one's childhood, teen years, and through adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify those with ADHD, as it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood, and how those symptoms have affected an individual's daily functioning in five 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, like the WURS-brief which was compared with the CAADID which showed poor sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is important to determine the severity of the symptoms and their causes. This can be done through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurological. It is important to consider the impact that the symptoms have on the individual's work and daily life. This can be determined through a structured medical interview, the DIVA and, in some 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 updated to be used by adults in other countries as well, 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 clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the degree of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The clinician also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychosis-related comorbidity.
Patients were examined for psychiatric comorbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI), and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Two psychiatrists who are experienced used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms both in adulthood and childhood and determined the length 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. This diagnostic tool was shown to have good concurrent validity 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 diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable to that of a clinical diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the sensitivity and specificity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD it can greatly affect your life. It can affect many areas, from relationships, academic and work progress to the simple task of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and difficulties, and also provide treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
A qualified professional (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured discussion with you using the DIVA-5 tool to assess your current symptoms. This will include asking standard questions about your levels inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences, to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This method is essential for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. more info allows us to 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. link has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared with self-report scales, such as the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has a good concordance with these scales and good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to traditional methods for measuring ADHD in adulthood it focuses on identifying signs that manifest in the teen years and in adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the impact of coexisting disorders on the presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to prescribe treatment, it might be necessary to schedule an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. They will then refer you to an expert Psychologist for more in-depth analysis of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing any comorbid conditions, like anxiety or depression. This will enable your Psychologist the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It can provide answers to persistent problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a structured and comprehensive tool, can help improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by analyzing symptoms at various stages of life. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other disorders that can exhibit similar symptoms in adults, such as depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a doctor conducts an interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an individual in different settings. This information can be used to develop an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity when compared with the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has excellent reliability for it comes to assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning that include education and work relationships home and family social connections, free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being assessed and their family and friends must be present. This will help establish trust and create a strong therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write an in-depth, professional report. The report will detail the findings of the test and recommend a treatment plan that is based on evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained to use the DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to give a thorough assessment. She can refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment plan. Be aware that the recommended treatment approach is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.