DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that was developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study will evaluate the validity of the criterion used to determine DIVA 2.0 as well as its validity in conjunction 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.
Symptoms
ADD/ADHD symptoms affect all aspects of our lives from relationships to advancement in our careers and the everyday tasks we have to perform. It is essential that our ADHD assessment is a holistic view, examining how symptoms impact all aspects of our lives. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting information about your symptoms and health history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview instrument designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and precise. It is also highly effective in identifying those with the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness of, and diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA A trained professional - often a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsive nature. The psychologist will also look at the background of the person, including their childhood experiences and their impact on their present behavior. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They appear over a long period of time from childhood to teenage years and adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively detect those suffering from ADHD by taking into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD during childhood and into adulthood and how these symptoms have impacted the person'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, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is crucial to determine the severity of the signs and symptoms as well as their history. This can be accomplished through conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is crucial to think about the impact these symptoms have on the individual's job and daily life. This can be determined using a structured clinical interview, the DIVA and, in some cases, obtaining information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised to be used by adults in other countries as well, including Korea. This study examined the criterion validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, the age at which symptoms onset, and the severity of impairment caused by those symptoms. The doctor will also collect different sociodemographic information and inquire about any psychiatric co-morbidities.
MINI-S and Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with experience who used the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to determine the severity of symptoms in childhood and adulthood, and to 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 compatibility with the WURS scale and fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating instruments: 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 diagnosis was found to be similar to the accuracy of clinical diagnosis made by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD it can greatly impact your life. This can be in many areas, from relationships, academic progress and work to the simple task of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, as well as offer treatment options to improve your symptoms and provide coping mechanisms.
A licensed clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. It will ask you standard questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. It will also examine your personal history including your childhood experiences to create a complete picture of your symptoms.
This method is essential to a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us understand the root causes of your symptoms, which will help inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared to self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has a good concordance with these scales and good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to traditional methods for testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest in childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnoses and allows a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the effects of coexisting disorders on symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. You may be referred to a specialist psychologist for a more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there are co-occurring or different diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid disorders, such as anxiety or depression. This will enable your Psychologist suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing providing explanations for long-standing difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. how do you get assessed for adhd does require the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized 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 those of other disorders that may present similar symptoms in adults, such as depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a doctor will conduct an organized interview to ask a series questions about the symptoms like hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The doctor evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact an person's life and performance in several situations. This information can be used to make an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity in comparison to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has a high degree of accuracy when measuring ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work; relationships; home and family social contact; leisure time and hobbies.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and their friends. This will help establish trust and a strong therapeutic bond, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an extensive, professional report. This report will present the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment program that is based on the data.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an assessment. She can refer you to a specialist who will formulate a treatment strategy. Be aware that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the recommended treatment.