DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview designed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study aims to evaluate the validity of the criterion used in 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact every aspect of our lives from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day tasks that are part of our lives. This is why it's crucial that our ADHD assessments are holistic by examining how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to examine both the core symptoms of ADD/ADHD and how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is a diagnostic interview tool developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to have high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those who have the disorder. It can help raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
A trained and experienced clinician, typically psychiatrists will inquire about the core symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look at the background of the person as well as 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 effectively identify those with ADHD because it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how the symptoms have affected an person's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life: education, work, family/partner relations and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is important to evaluate the signs and symptoms as well as their history. This can be accomplished through an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurological. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms have on the individual's work and daily life. simply click the following page can be determined by conducting a structured interview, also known as 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 to be used by adults in other countries, including Korea. The study examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5) using an actual clinical sample of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms in the early years and in adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the level of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The doctor also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and inquires about any mental health comorbidity.
Patients were screened for psychiatric comorbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two experienced psychiatrists who utilized the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to assess symptoms in both 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 was shown to have good concurrent validity 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 the DIVA-5's diagnostics was found to be similar to the accuracy of clinical diagnosis made by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools like the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This could be in a variety of areas from your relationships, academic progress and work to the basic tasks of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as offer treatment options to improve your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A trained professional (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured conversation with you using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will involve regular questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, to get a full picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This method is essential to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. This will help us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been proven to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion, when compared to self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrency with these scales and has fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary to the more conventional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA evaluation is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that can be observed in childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and allowing an accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to consider the effect of co-occurring disorders on the presentation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to set up an appointment with a pediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. They can then refer you to an expert Psychologist for more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to look for differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid disorders like depression and anxiety. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing and provide explanations for lingering difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across various life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and other conditions that can exhibit similar symptoms in adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact on the individual's life and how they function in a variety of situations. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It has a high sensitivity when compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has high accuracy when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships with family and home; social contacts; and free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct a valid DIVA assessment, the individual being assessed and their family and friends must be present. This helps build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your evaluation.
An experienced psychologist or psychiatrist who is certified in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a comprehensive report. This report will present the results of the assessment and provide a treatment strategy that is based upon evidence.
If you suspect that you or a loved one might be suffering from ADHD If you suspect that someone you know may have ADHD, please call us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of DIVA ADHD assessments and can provide a thorough evaluation. She can refer you to a specialist who will develop an appropriate treatment strategy. Be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.