DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview that is semistructured designed to enhance ADHD assessment in adults. This study will evaluate the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 as well as its concurrent validity compared to 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
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives from relationships to career advancement, and the daily tasks we do. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments are holistic and look at how the symptoms affect every aspect 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 examine the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool for diagnosing ADHD. It was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to be highly sensitive and specific. It is also highly efficient in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
To perform the DIVA, a trained clinician typically psychologists or psychiatrists will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD which include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The doctor will also analyze the background of the person, including their childhood experiences and the impact on their current behaviours. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They appear over a long period of time from childhood through teen years and then into adulthood.
The DIVA can identify ADHD because it considers both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria during childhood and into adulthood and how these signs have affected the person's daily functioning across five different areas - education, employment and family/partner relationships, social activities/leisure, and self-esteem/confidence. As a contrast other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared to the CAADID and showed low sensitivity and negative predictive values.
Diagnosis
To determine ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the symptoms and their background. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview about childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms have on the individual's job and daily life. This can be evaluated by conducting a structured interview, called the DIVA and, in some cases, obtaining information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been updated for use 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 suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years and in adulthood. They will also ask the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the degree of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The doctor will also collect various sociodemographic data and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
MINI-S and 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. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with years of experience who used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to evaluate symptoms in both adulthood and childhood and determine the duration of these symptoms.
The sensitivity and specificity of DIVA-5 was found to be high for both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms in childhood and adulthood. The diagnostic tool was demonstrated to have good compatibility with the WURS scale, and 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable to the accuracy of a diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools, like ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD, it can significantly impact your life. This can affect your relationships, academic progress as well as your work. It can also impact the way you organize your day-to-day activities. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A qualified clinician, typically psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct a structured discussion with you about your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also look into your personal history and your childhood experiences to create an accurate picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This approach is essential for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. This helps us better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been demonstrated 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 concordance validity with these scales and fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, unlike more traditional methods of measuring ADHD in adulthood it focuses on identifying signs that are present in childhood and into adulthood. cheap adhd assessment improves the accuracy of diagnoses and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic traits between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to consider the effects of co-occurring disorders on manifestation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to prescribe medication, you might need to schedule an appointment with a Psychiatrist or a paediatrician for a more thorough evaluation and/or treatment. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing comorbid conditions, like anxiety or depression. This will help your Psychologist determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It offers solutions to long-standing problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. However, a reliable assessment requires the expertise of qualified healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a structured and comprehensive tool, can help improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also helps identify patterns of behavior that remain and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other disorders, such as anxiety or depression.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a clinician will use a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the person in various situations. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA test is validated in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It has a high sensitivity when compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has a high degree of reliability when it comes to it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work as well as relationships, family and home social interactions; free time and leisure.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the individual being evaluated as well as their close family members and close friends. This helps build trust and create a strong therapeutic bond, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide an in-depth professional report. This report will present the results of the assessment and provide a treatment strategy that is based on the evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you think you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of DIVA ADHD assessments and can give a thorough assessment. She will refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment plan. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.