DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview designed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study is aimed at assessing the criterion valid of DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent validity compared to 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 advancement in our careers and the daily tasks we perform. It is crucial that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic view, examining how symptoms impact all aspects of life. 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 the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to be extremely sensitive and precise. It is extremely effective in identifying those suffering from the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness and diagnose the condition of adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults with ADHD available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA the trained clinician - often a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD which include hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. The clinician will also delve into the person's past by looking at their early experiences and how they may have influenced their behavior. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They develop over a period of time from childhood through teen years and adulthood.
The DIVA can be used to detect ADHD because it considers both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria during childhood and into adulthood and how these signs affect the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas - education, employment and family/partner relationships and leisure/social activities, as well as confidence and self-esteem. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults it is essential to evaluate the signs and symptoms along with their background. This can be accomplished through conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is also crucial to assess the effects of the symptoms the individual's life and work. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, the DIVA and, in some instances, getting information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined to be used in other countries, including Korea. The study examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5), in an actual clinical sample of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, the age at which the symptoms first manifest, as well as the severity of impairment resulting from these symptoms. The doctor also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and asks about any mental health co-morbidity.
MINI-S as well as Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), as well as the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. Two experienced psychiatrists used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to establish a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms in adulthood as well as 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 to the WURS scale, and fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments which 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 DIVA-5's diagnostic accuracy was found to be comparable to that of a clinical diagnosis that were made by two psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools, like ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. It can affect many areas, from relationships, work and academic progress to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and also provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A trained clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct a structured interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve asking standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also examine your personal history including childhood experiences to get an accurate picture of your symptoms.
This approach is crucial to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to identify the root cause of your symptoms, which can help determine the best treatment for you.
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 with self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concordance validity with these scales, and has reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to the more conventional methods of measuring ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that occur during the teen years and in adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to think about the effects of co-occurring disorders on the appearance of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to prescribe medication, it could be necessary to set up an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. They will then refer you to an expert Psychologist for more in-depth evaluation of your symptoms and to look for co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing for co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend an appropriate 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 good evaluation does require the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a structured and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions that can exhibit similar symptoms for adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In adhd diagnostic assessment london , a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact an individual's life and functioning in a variety of environments. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and has shown high sensitivity when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has a high degree of accuracy when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education; relationships; family and home social interactions; leisure time and hobbies.
For an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated, their family and friends need to be present. This helps build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which is essential to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed professional report. The report will detail the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
If you think you or a loved one might be suffering from ADHD If you suspect that someone you know may have ADHD, please call us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an evaluation. She can refer you to a specialist who will formulate a treatment plan. Be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.