DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview designed to improve ADHD assessments for adults. This study will evaluate the validity of the criterion used in 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.
Symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships to career advancement and the daily tasks we perform. This is why it's crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach and look at how the symptoms impact all areas of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by evaluating 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 how they have affected your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool developed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to determine the signs of adult ADHD. It has been found to be highly sensitive and specific. It is also extremely effective in identifying those with the disorder. It can increase awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
A qualified clinician, typically psychiatrists, will inquire about the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsive nature. The clinician will also look at the history of the individual and their childhood experiences and their influence on their behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge at a moment's notice, they are developed throughout one's childhood, teen years, and even into adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively identify those with ADHD because it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood and how these symptoms have impacted the individual's daily functioning in five different areas of life: education work, family/partner relationships, family, social activities/leisure time, and self-esteem and self-confidence. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To determine the presence of ADHD in adults it is essential to evaluate the signs and symptoms along with their history. This can be accomplished through an extensive interview about childhood symptoms as well as a neurological assessment. It is also important to consider the effects of the symptoms on the individual's life and work. This can be evaluated conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in certain cases, asking for information from family and friends.
The DIVA is an interview that is semi-structured and was initially designed for use with adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised for use with adult patients in other countries as well, including Korea. This study looked at the validity of the criterion used to determine 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 during childhood and into adulthood, the age at which symptoms onset, and the severity of impairment caused by those symptoms. The clinician also collects wide range of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychosis-related or comorbidity.
MINI-S and 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 detect psychiatric co-morbidity. Two experienced psychiatrists used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms in adulthood as well as 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 to 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 accuracy of the DIVA-5's diagnosis was found to be comparable to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis given by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD it can greatly affect your life. It can impact your relationships, academic performance and work. It can also impact the way you organize your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses and also provide treatment options that 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 include asking standard questions about your levels hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences to get a complete picture of your symptoms.
This method is essential to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to understand the root causes of your symptoms, which will help determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been proven to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion when compared with self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these and good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
In contrast to the more conventional methods used to assess ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment focuses on identifying and discussing symptoms that are present in both childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and allowing for a more accurate comparison between the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the impact of coexisting disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to schedule an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. They will then refer you to an expert Psychologist for more thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to determine if there are any differential or co-occurring diagnoses. adhd diagnostic assessment london includes assessing for co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression. This will allow your Psychologist to determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It provides answers to long-standing problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. A successful evaluation requires the expertise of trained healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior and differentiates between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions that may present similar symptoms for adults, such as depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an person in various situations. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA test is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity compared to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs, and psychiatrist's tests. It also has a high degree of validity for assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning such as education and work, relationships home and family social connections, free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family and friends need to be present. This will help to build trust and a therapeutic bond which is important to the success of the evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a detailed professional report. The report will detail the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you or someone you know might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained to use the DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to provide a comprehensive evaluation. She can then provide an appointment with a specialist to develop an effective treatment plan. Please be aware that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is the most effective treatment.