DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview that is semistructured designed to improve ADHD assessment for adults. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine DIVA 2.0 and its concomitant validity in comparison 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact all aspects of life, from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day tasks that make up our lives. This is why it's crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach and look at how the symptoms affect every aspect of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to examine the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing tool developed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and precise. It is extremely effective in identifying those who have the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness and diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA the trained clinician typically a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD which include hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor will also dig into the background of the individual and examine their childhood experiences and how they could have influenced their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD aren't something that just happens to appear suddenly, they develop throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify people suffering from ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood, and how those symptoms have affected an person's daily functioning in five areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations, social activities/leisure time, and self-esteem and self-confidence. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults it is crucial to assess the symptoms as well as their background. This can be done with an extensive interview about childhood symptoms and a neurological examination. It is important to consider the impact these symptoms have on the individual's work and daily life. This can be assessed by using a structured interview, the DIVA and, in some cases, getting information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview first developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised for use in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the criteria applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5) using a clinical sample consisting of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood. They will also inquire about the age at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the extent of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The clinician will also gather a variety of sociodemographic information and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidities.
MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. adhd assessment psychiatry uk with experience employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed 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 with the WURS scale and has fair validity when compared with 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 the DIVA-5's diagnosis was found to be comparable to that of a clinical diagnoses given by two psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD, it can significantly impact your life. This can be in many areas, from relationships, work and academic progress to the simple task of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and coping mechanism.
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. This will consist of standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences, in order to get a full picture of your symptoms and their impacts on your life.
This is essential to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. This allows us to better understand your symptoms and inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been demonstrated to be valid as a criterion when compared with 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.
The DIVA evaluation, unlike more traditional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood it focuses on identifying signs that occur during childhood and adults. This improves the accuracy of the diagnoses and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic traits between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the impact of co-existing disorders on the presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe treatment, it might be necessary to schedule an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist for further thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to assess for differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing any comorbid disorders, such as depression or anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It provides answers to persistent problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment, which is a structured and comprehensive tool, helps improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at different life stages. It also identifies patterns of behavior that persist and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other disorders like anxiety or depression.
In the DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask several questions regarding symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact on the person's life and performance in various settings. This information is then used to develop an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA test is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity when compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has excellent validity when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work as well as relationships with home and family social contact; free time and leisure.
For a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated, their family and friends must be present. This will help to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that will be essential for the success of the assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write a detailed, professional report. This report will present the findings of the test and recommend a treatment plan based on the evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of DIVA ADHD assessments and can give a thorough assessment. She can refer you to an expert who will create a treatment strategy. Please be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.