DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semistructured interview developed to improve ADHD assessment in adults. This study aims to evaluate the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent 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 advancement in our careers and the everyday tasks we have to perform. It is important that our ADHD assessment is a holistic view, examining how symptoms impact every aspect of life. Dr. Schilling will begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to examine the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to have sound sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can help raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA the trained clinician usually psychologist or psychiatrist will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. visit this site right here will also dig into the individual's history by looking at their early experiences and how they may influence their present behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge suddenly, they develop throughout one's childhood, teen years, and even into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify those with ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how the symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life: education, work, family/partner relations social activities/leisure time and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Contrary to this other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared to CAADID, showed poor accuracy and negative predictive values.
Diagnosis
To determine the presence of ADHD in adults it is crucial to assess the symptoms and their background. This can be done by an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms and an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is important to consider the impact these symptoms have on the person's job and daily life. This can be determined conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in certain instances, obtaining information from relatives and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview originally designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised to be used with adult patients in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5), in an actual clinical sample of adults with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also ask the age of onset of symptoms and the degree of impairment caused by these symptoms. The doctor will also collect various sociodemographic data and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
The MINI-S and Version 5.0.0, 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 established by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview 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. This diagnostic tool has good concurrent validity when compared to the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments: 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools such as ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a major impact on your daily life. This can be in many aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple tasks of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and also provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms.
A licensed professional (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have a structured conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will consist of standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. It will also delve into your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to gain a complete understanding of your symptoms and their impacts on your life.
This method is essential to a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us understand the root causes of your symptoms, which will help determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD, with excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been proven to be a good criterion-validated test when compared to self-report scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these and reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Unlike the more traditional methods used to assess ADHD in adults, the DIVA test is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that are present in both childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and allowing a more accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the effect of coexisting disorders on the manifestation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to schedule an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You may be referred to 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 comorbid conditions, such as depression or anxiety. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It provides answers to persistent issues and opens the way to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced medical experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across various life stages. It also helps identify patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and other conditions that may present similar symptoms for adults, such as depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms to understand how they impact on the person's life and performance in a variety of environments. This information can be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has a high sensitivity in comparison to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has excellent validity when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships with home and family social contact; leisure time and hobbies.
For an accurate DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated as well as their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and create a therapeutic bond that is essential for the success of the assessment.
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment will be able to provide a detailed report. The report will detail the findings of the test and provide a treatment strategy that is based on the evidence.
If you suspect that you or a loved one might be suffering from ADHD, please contact us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an assessment. She will refer you to a specialist who will formulate an appropriate treatment strategy. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.