DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to enhance ADHD assessments for adults. This study will evaluate the validity of the criterion used to determine DIVA 2.0 as well as its validity in conjunction 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.
Signs and symptoms
ADD/ADHD symptoms affect all aspects of our lives, from relationships to career advancement and the daily tasks we do. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments are holistic and look at how the symptoms affect 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 that is designed to assess the primary symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to assess symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to have a high sensitivity to sound and a high degree of specificity. It is also highly effective in identifying individuals suffering from the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness of, and diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist, will inquire about the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsive nature. The doctor will also dig into the person's past and examine their childhood experiences and how they could influence their present behavior. The symptoms of ADHD don't appear in a flash. They appear over a long period of time from childhood through teen years and into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively detect those suffering from ADHD, as it takes into consideration 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 confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the symptoms and their history. This can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of the neurological. It is crucial to think about the impact that the symptoms can have on a person's job and daily life. This can be determined using a structured clinical interview, called the DIVA, and in some cases, obtaining 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 redesigned to be used by adults in other countries as well, including Korea. The study examined the criterion applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5) using the clinical sample of adults with ADHD.
During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during the early years and in adulthood. They will also inquire about the age of onset of symptoms and the extent of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The doctor will also collect various sociodemographic data and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidity.
The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was determined by two experienced psychiatrists who utilized the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to evaluate symptoms in both adulthood and childhood and determine the duration of those 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools, such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD, it can significantly impact your life. This can be in many areas, from relationships, work and academic progress to the simple tasks of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatment options that improve your symptoms and coping 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. getting an adhd assessment uk will consist of standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This method is crucial to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. This will help us better understand your symptoms and inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adult ADHD and has high sensitivity and specificity. getting an adhd assessment uk has also been proven to be reliable in determining the validity of criterion, when compared to self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these scales and has fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to traditional methods for testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that occur during the teen years and in adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the effects of coexisting disorders on manifestation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend medication, it could be necessary to set up an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. They will then refer you to a specialist Psychologist for further in-depth analysis of your symptoms, and to look for co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid conditions, such as depression or anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life providing explanations for long-standing problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. However, a reliable assessment requires the expertise of qualified medical professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also detects patterns of behavior that remain and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other disorders, such as depression or anxiety.
In the course of a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact an individual's life and how they function in a variety of settings. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA test is confirmed in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity compared to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has a high degree of validity when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education; relationships; home and family; social contacts; and free time and hobbies.
For a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family and friends need to be present. This will help build trust and a strong therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your assessment.
A qualified psychiatrist or psychologist who is trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment will be able to provide a comprehensive report. The report will detail the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment if 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 is able to provide a comprehensive evaluation. She will then make an appointment with a specialist to create an effective treatment plan. Please be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.