DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview designed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study aims to evaluate the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction 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
Symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day tasks that are part of our lives. It is crucial that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic approach, looking at how the symptoms impact all aspects of life. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will start by gathering details of your symptoms and health background. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing tool designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been proven to be extremely sensitive and specific. Read Much more is also highly efficient in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
To perform the DIVA A trained professional usually a psychiatrist or psychologist - will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD which include inattention, hyperactivity, and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also examine the background of the person and their childhood experiences as well as their impact on their current behaviours. This is because the signs of ADHD don't just emerge in a flash, they manifest throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can identify ADHD because it considers both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in childhood and in adulthood, and how these symptoms affect the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas: education, employment, family/partner relationships social activities/leisure, as well as confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to determine the severity of the signs and symptoms as well as their history. This can be done through an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms as well as a neurological examination. It is also crucial to consider the effects of the symptoms the person's work and life. This can be evaluated through a structured medical interview, also known as the DIVA and, in certain instances, getting information from friends and family members.
The DIVA is a semi-structured interview that was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been re-edited for use in other countries including Korea. This study examined the criterion validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in an adult clinical sample with ADHD.
During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the level of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician also collects a wide range of sociodemographic data and asks about any mental health comorbidity.
Patients were assessed for psychiatric co-morbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 as well as the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI), and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Two experienced psychiatrists utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms throughout adulthood and childhood and determined the duration 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: 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 diagnostic accuracy of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with the accuracy of a diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line both with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools, such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a major impact on your life. It can impact your relationships, academic performance as well as your work. It can also affect how you organize your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide solutions to improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A licensed clinician (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured discussion with you, using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. It will ask you standard questions about your levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to get a full picture of your symptoms and their impacts on your life.
This method is essential to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This helps us better understand your symptoms and inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD with excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been proven to be valid as a criterion, when compared to self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these and fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary to the more conventional methods of assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA test is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that occur both during the teen years and into adulthood, increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and allowing for a more accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the impact of co-existing disorders on the manifestation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist cannot prescribe medication, you might require an appointment with a Psychiatrist or a paediatrician for a more thorough evaluation and/or treatment. You may be referred to an expert psychologist for a more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. This will help your Psychologist suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing providing explanations for long-standing issues and opening doors to effective treatment options. A successful evaluation requires the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also identifies patterns of behavior that remain and aids in distinguishing between ADHD symptoms and other conditions, such as depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a clinician will use an organized interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact an person's life and performance in a variety of settings. This information can be used to make an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity when compared to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs, and psychiatrist's tests. It has also excellent validity in assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning that include education and work relationships with family and home, social contacts, and free time and hobby.
For an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being assessed and their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that is crucial for the success of the assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with experience with the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an in-depth, professional report. This report will present the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you think you or someone you love might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an evaluation. She will then make a referral to a specialist to create an effective treatment plan. Be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.