DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to enhance ADHD assessment for adults. This study is aimed at assessing the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 as well as its concomitant validity with 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships to career advancement and the daily tasks we do. It is important that our ADHD assessment takes a comprehensive approach, looking at how the symptoms impact all aspects of our lives. During your evaluation, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting details about your symptoms as well as health background. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool developed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been proven to have high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying people suffering from the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness of, and the diagnosis of the condition of adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults with ADHD available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA the trained clinician typically psychologists or psychiatrists will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and an impulsive nature. The psychologist will also look into the background of the individual by looking at their early experiences and how those may influence their present behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can be used to detect ADHD because it takes into account 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 and family/partner relationships, social activities/leisure, and confidence in oneself. In comparison other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared with the CAADID and showed low sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is important that you evaluate the signs and symptoms along with their history. This can be done by conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is also crucial to look at the effects of the symptoms the person's life and work. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, also known as the DIVA and, in certain instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is an interview with a semi-structured format that was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned for use with adult patients in other countries as well, including Korea. conversational tone examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5), in the clinical sample of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years and in adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the level of impairment triggered by these symptoms. conversational tone collects variety of sociodemographic information and asks about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to screen for psychiatric co-morbidity. Two psychiatrists with experience used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to determine 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 with the WURS scale, and fair validity when compared to 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 similar to that of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD it can greatly affect your life. It can impact your relationships, academic performance, and work. It can also impact the way you manage your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses, and provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A qualified professional (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have an organized conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. It will ask you standard questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. It will also dig into your personal history, including childhood experiences to get the full picture of your symptoms.
This approach is crucial to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. This allows us to better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to determine 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 a good concordance with these scales, and has good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary to the more conventional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment focuses on identifying and discussing symptoms that occur both during the teen years and into adulthood, increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and allowing an accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to consider the impact of co-occurring conditions on the presentation of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist cannot prescribe medication, you may need to make an appointment with a Psychiatrist or a Paediatrician to discuss further evaluation and/or treatment. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an in-depth evaluation of your symptoms and to look for differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid disorders, such as anxiety or depression. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can change your life. It provides answers to persistent problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. 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 identifies persistent patterns of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and other conditions which may have similar symptoms in adults, like depression or anxiety.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct an organized interview to ask a series questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact an individual's life and how they function in several environments. This information can then be used to develop an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment is confirmed in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity in comparison to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has a high degree of validity when assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning such as education and work, relationships with family and home, social contacts, and leisure time and hobbies.
A well-validated DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and friends. This will help establish trust and create a strong therapeutic connection, which is crucial to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an extensive, professional report. The report will detail the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based on the data.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can perform an evaluation. She can then make a referral to a specialist to develop an effective treatment plan. Be aware that an amalgamation of medication and psychotherapy is the most effective treatment.