DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to enhance ADHD assessment in adults. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction 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. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments are holistic and look at how the symptoms impact all areas of life. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will begin by collecting details about your symptoms as well as health history. She will then conduct a 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 for diagnosing ADHD. It was created by psychologists and psychiatrists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to raise awareness of, and the diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist, will ask questions to determine the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look into the individual's history and examine their childhood experiences and how they could have influenced their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear suddenly, they develop throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively detect those suffering from ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD during childhood and into adulthood, and how those symptoms have impacted the 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. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To determine ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the symptoms as well as their background. This can be done by a comprehensive interview about childhood symptoms and an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is crucial to think about the impact that these symptoms have on the person's job and daily life. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, the DIVA and, in some cases, obtaining information from friends and family members.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised for use with adult patients in other countries as well, including Korea. This study looked at the criterion 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 in the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the degree of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician also collects diverse set of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
MINI-S as well as 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. Two psychiatrists who are experienced used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms throughout 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 has good concurrent validity when compared with the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments which 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 diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with that of a clinical diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of previous screening tools like the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This can be in many areas, from relationships, academic and work progress to the basic tasks of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses, and also offer treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms.
A trained psychologist (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured discussion with you, using the DIVA-5 tool to assess your current symptoms. This will consist of standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. It will also explore your personal history, including childhood experiences, in order to get a full picture of your symptoms and their impact on your life.
This method is essential for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to determine the root of your symptoms, which will help inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adult ADHD with high sensitivity and precision. It has also been proven to be valid as a criterion, when compared to self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales and good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to traditional methods for testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that occur during childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also provides an opportunity to consider the effect of co-occurring conditions on the manifestation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe medication, it may be necessary to set up an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You may be referred to an expert psychologist for a thorough assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid conditions, like anxiety or depression. index will allow your Psychologist to determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life and provide explanations for lingering problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced medical experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a structured and comprehensive tool that helps to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across various life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD assessment, a doctor conducts an interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact on the individual's life and how they function in a variety of environments. This information can then be used to develop an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief, CAA DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It also has a high degree of accuracy when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work as well as relationships, family and home; social contacts; and leisure time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an authentic DIVA assessment, the person being assessed and their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who is trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed report. The report will detail the findings of the test and recommend a treatment program that is based on the 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 provide a comprehensive evaluation. She will refer you to an expert who will create a treatment strategy. Be aware that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.