DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview that has been developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study will evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine 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
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact every area of life from relationships and career progression to the daily tasks that are part of our lives. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. During your evaluation, Dr. Schilling will start by gathering details about your symptoms as well as health history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool for diagnosing ADHD. It was created by psychologists and psychiatrists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been demonstrated to be extremely sensitive and specific. It is highly effective at identifying those suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
A qualified clinician, typically a psychiatrist will ask questions to determine the core symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. visit the following website will also look at the background of the person and their childhood experiences and the influence on their behavior. The symptoms of ADHD do not appear suddenly. They appear over a long period of time from childhood through teen years and then into adulthood.
The DIVA can detect ADHD due to its consideration of both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria during childhood and into adulthood, and how these symptoms affect the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas - education, employment, family/partner relationships and leisure/social activities, as well as self-esteem/confidence. Other screening tools, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms and their history. This can be done through an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms as well as a neurological examination. It is important to consider the impact that the symptoms have on the individual's job and daily life. This can be assessed by conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in certain cases, getting information from family and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised for use with adult patients in other countries including Korea. This study examined the criterion that is valid for the Korean version (DIVA-5) using the clinical sample of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood, the time at which the symptoms onset, and the extent of impairment resulting from those symptoms. The doctor also collects a wide range of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
The MINI-S as well as Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. Two psychiatrists with experience utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish a clinical 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 to the WURS scale and has fair validity when compared to 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools, such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This could be in a variety of aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and difficulties, and also provide treatment options that improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A licensed psychologist (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct an organized conversation with you using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will involve standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to gain a complete understanding of your symptoms and their impact on your life.
This method is crucial for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us determine the root of your symptoms, which can help guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also shown to be a good criterion-validated test when compared with self-report scales such as 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.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to more traditional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that are present in childhood and into adulthood. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the effects of co-existing disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe medication, it may be necessary to set up an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You can be referred to an expert psychologist for a thorough assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring disorders, such as depression or anxiety. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can change your life. It can provide answers to persistent issues and opens the way to effective treatment options. However, a thorough evaluation requires the expertise of experienced medical experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment, which is a structured and comprehensive tool, can help improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by analyzing symptoms at different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that remain and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like depression or anxiety.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact the individual's life and functioning in various settings. This information can be used to develop 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 a psychiatrist's assessment. It also has high reliability when it comes to it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships with home and family social interactions; free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an accurate DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family members and friends must be present. This helps build trust and a strong therapeutic bond, which is essential to the success of your evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a detailed, professional report. This report will outline the findings of the test and recommend a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to provide a comprehensive evaluation. She will refer you to a specialist who will formulate a treatment strategy. Be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.