DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to improve ADHD assessment for adults. This study is aimed at assessing the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 and 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.
Symptoms
ADD/ADHD symptoms impact all aspects of our lives, from relationships to career advancement, and the daily tasks we perform. It is crucial that our ADHD assessment takes a comprehensive perspective, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of life. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by obtaining details about your symptoms as well as health background. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews created by psychologists and psychiatrists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to have sound sensitivity and specificity. It is highly effective at identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to increase awareness of, and diagnose the condition of adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
A qualified clinician, typically a psychiatrist, will ask questions to determine the primary symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also examine the background of the person as well as their childhood experiences as well as their influence on their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD aren't something that just happens to appear suddenly, they develop through the teenage years, and even into adulthood.
The DIVA can identify ADHD because it takes into account 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 and family/partner relationships social activities/leisure, as well as confidence and self-esteem. Other screening tools, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To determine the presence of ADHD in adults it is important that you evaluate the symptoms and their background. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as a neurological assessment. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms have on the individual's work and daily life. This can be determined by conducting a structured interview, called the DIVA, and in some instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is an interview with a semi-structured format that was first developed for use with adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised to be used with adult patients in other countries, including Korea. The study examined the criterion applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5), in a clinical sample consisting of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and into adulthood, the time at which the symptoms first manifest, as well as the extent of impairment resulting from those symptoms. The doctor will also collect different sociodemographic information and inquire about any psychiatric-related 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), as well as the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with experience who used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to evaluate symptoms in both the early years and in 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. 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 that include 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 the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the sensitivity and specificity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your daily life. This could be in a variety of aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple tasks of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, and also provide treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
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 consist of standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity. It will also dig into your personal history including childhood experiences to get a complete picture of your symptoms.
This approach is essential for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also allows us to identify the root cause of your symptoms, which can help guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely effective way of diagnosing adult ADHD with excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also shown to be valid as a criterion when compared with self-report scales, such as the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales and fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to more traditional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that occur during childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of the diagnoses and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to look at the effect of co-occurring conditions on the appearance of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to set up an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. They can then refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to look for co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. This will allow your Psychologist to suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It offers solutions to persistent problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. However, a thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior and differentiates between ADHD symptoms and other conditions which may have similar symptoms in adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD assessment, a doctor conducts an interview to ask several questions regarding symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. visit the following website , severity and duration of these symptoms to understand how they impact an person's life and performance in various environments. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief, CAA DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It has also excellent validity when conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily functioning such as education and work, relationships with family and home social connections, leisure time and hobbies.
For an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated as well as their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and a therapeutic bond that is crucial to the success of the assessment.
An experienced psychologist or psychiatrist who has been certified in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed report. This report will present the findings of the assessment 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 know might have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can perform an assessment. She can then make an appointment with specialists to design an effective treatment strategy. Be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.