DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semistructured interview developed to enhance ADHD assessment for adults. This study aims at evaluating the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 as well as 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact every aspect of our lives from relationships and career advancement to the everyday tasks that make up our lives. It is essential that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic view, examining how symptoms affect all aspects of life. Dr Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as how they have affected your life.
The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews created by psychologists and psychiatrists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been found to be extremely sensitive and specific. It is also highly effective in identifying those with the disorder. It is able to increase awareness and the diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
To perform the DIVA the trained clinician - often psychologist or psychiatrist will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity, and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor will also look at the background of the person, including their childhood experiences and their influence on their behavior. The symptoms of ADHD don't appear in a flash. They develop over a period of time from childhood through teen years and 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 those symptoms have affected the individual's daily functioning in five different areas of life - education work, family/partner relationships, family and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Contrary to this other screening tools, like the WURS-brief which was compared to CAADID and showed low sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to assess the symptoms and their history. This can be done by conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as a neurocognitive assessment. It is also essential to consider the impact of the symptoms on the individual's life and work. This can be assessed by using a structured interview, the DIVA and, in certain instances, obtaining information from relatives and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally designed for adults in the Netherlands. link has been updated to be used by adults in other countries including Korea. The study examined the criterion applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5), in the clinical sample of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms during childhood and into adulthood, the age at which the symptoms first manifest, as well as the severity of impairment caused by those symptoms. The doctor also collects a wide range of sociodemographic data and asks about any psychiatric or comorbidity.
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). Two psychiatrists who are experienced used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms both in 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. This diagnostic tool has good concurrent validity when compared with the WURS scale and has fair validity when compared to 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 similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis given by two psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools like the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This can affect your relationships, academic progress as well as your work. It can also impact the way you organize your daily life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as offer treatment options to improve your symptoms and provide coping mechanisms.
A trained clinician (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have a structured conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. It will ask you standard questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. It will also delve into your personal history, including childhood experiences, to get a full picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This approach is crucial for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also helps us identify the root cause of your symptoms, which helps guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is a highly effective way of diagnosing adult ADHD and has high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been demonstrated to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion when compared to self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and 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 assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that occur during childhood and into adulthood. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows a more accurate comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to look at the impact of co-occurring disorders on the presentation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. They will then refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an in-depth analysis of your symptoms and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. This will enable your Psychologist to suggest the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can change your life. It provides answers to persistent issues and opens the way to effective treatment options. A successful evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment, which is a structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at various stages of life. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist and aids in distinguishing between ADHD symptoms and other disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
In an DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact the person's life and performance in a variety of settings. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity when compared with the WURS-brief, CAA DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It has also excellent validity for conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily function: work and education, relationships, home and family social connections, free time and hobby.
To be able to conduct an accurate DIVA assessment, the individual being assessed and their family and friends must be present. This helps to establish trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond which is essential to the success of the assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a detailed professional report. This report will present the findings of the test and recommend a treatment program that is based on the data.
If you suspect that you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD, please contact us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to provide a comprehensive evaluation. She can 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.