DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview that is semistructured designed to improve ADHD assessment for adults. This study is designed to assess the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent 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 impact every area of life, from relationships and career progression to the everyday tasks that are part of our lives. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach, looking at how symptoms affect every aspect of our lives. During your evaluation, Dr. Schilling will start by gathering information about your symptoms and health history. She will then conduct a DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD on your life.
how to get adhd assessment is an instrument for diagnostic interviews created by psychologists and psychiatrists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and precise. It is highly effective at identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic test available in the country.
A qualified clinician, typically a psychiatrist will ask questions to determine the primary symptoms of ADHD. These include inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsive nature. The doctor will also dig into the person's past, looking at their childhood experiences and how they could have affected their current behaviours. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge in a flash, they manifest throughout one's childhood, teen years, and through adulthood.
The DIVA can efficiently detect those suffering from ADHD because it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood, and how those symptoms have impacted the person's daily functioning in five areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and self-confidence. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults it is crucial to assess the symptoms and their history. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as a neurological examination. It is important to consider the impact that the symptoms can have on a person's work and life. This can be determined conducting a structured interview, the DIVA and, in certain cases, getting information from family members 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 in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the criterion that is valid for the Korean version (DIVA-5) using a clinical sample consisting of adults with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years and in adulthood. They will also inquire about the age of onset of symptoms and the degree of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The clinician will also collect different sociodemographic information and ask about any psychiatric-related co-morbidity.
MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), and the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to screen for psychiatric co-morbidity. Two experienced psychiatrists used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms throughout adulthood and 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 was found to have good compatibility with the WURS scale as well as fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating instruments: ASRS, FAB, 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 diagnostics was found to be similar to the accuracy of clinical diagnoses made by two psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of previous screening tools such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD, it can significantly affect your life. This can be in many areas from your relationships, academic progress and work to the simple tasks of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and difficulties, and also provide solutions to improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A trained clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct a structured discussion with you about your symptoms currently using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve regular questions about your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also delve into your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to gain a complete understanding of your symptoms and their impact on your life.
This method is essential to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. This will help us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has high sensitivity and precision. It has also been shown to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion when compared to self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these scales and has reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
Contrary 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 the diagnosis and allowing for a more accurate comparison between sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to consider the effect of co-occurring disorders on manifestation 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. You can be referred an expert psychologist for a thorough assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring conditions, like depression or anxiety. This will help your Psychologist 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 reliable assessment requires the expertise of experienced healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment, which is a structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at different life stages. It also identifies patterns of behavior that remain and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other disorders like anxiety or depression.
In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a clinician will use a structured interview in order to ask a series questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact the person's life and performance in a variety of settings. This information is then utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity compared to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs, and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has excellent reliability for conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily functioning: work and education, relationships with family and home, social contacts, and free time and hobbies.
For an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated, their family and friends must be present. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be essential to the success of your assessment.
A skilled psychologist or psychiatrist who has been certified in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed report. The report will detail the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment if you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an evaluation. She can refer you to an expert who will create a treatment plan. Be aware that the recommended treatment approach is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.