DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semistructured interview developed to improve ADHD assessment in adults. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of the criteria used to determine 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.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives from relationships and career progression to the everyday tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach by examining how symptoms impact all areas of life. During your evaluation, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting information about your symptoms and health history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to examine both the core symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing tool designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to assess symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to be extremely sensitive and specific. It is also highly effective in identifying individuals suffering from the disorder. It is able to increase awareness of, and the diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic test for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
A trained and experienced clinician, typically psychiatrists, will ask questions to determine the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also look into the background of the individual and examine their childhood experiences and how they could have affected their current behaviours. The symptoms of ADHD don't appear in a flash. They develop over a time from childhood to teenage years and adulthood.
The DIVA can efficiently detect those suffering from ADHD because it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how the symptoms have affected an individual's daily functioning in five different areas of life: education, work, family/partner relations social activities/leisure time and self-esteem and self-confidence. Contrary to this, other screening tools like the WURS-brief which was compared to CAADID, showed poor sensitiveness and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is crucial to determine the severity of the symptoms and their history. 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 on the person's life and work. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, called the DIVA and, in certain instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined for use in other countries, including Korea. The study examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5), in the clinical sample of adults with ADHD.
During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also ask the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the level of impairment caused by these symptoms. The doctor also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and asks about any psychosis-related co-morbidity.
adhd assessment psychiatry uk -S plus Version 5.0.0, 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 employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to determine a clinical 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 to 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 similar 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, such ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you're not aware of ADHD, it can significantly affect your life. This could be in a variety of areas, from relationships, academic progress and work to the basic tasks of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and provide coping mechanisms.
A licensed clinician (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have a structured conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 tool to evaluate your current symptoms. It will include regular questions about your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. It will also examine your personal history including childhood experiences to give you the full picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This approach is essential to a complete adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us determine the root of your symptoms, which helps inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been proven to be valid as a criterion when compared to self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrency with these and fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to the more conventional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that are present in childhood and adults. This increases the accuracy of the diagnoses and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA evaluation also gives an opportunity to consider the effects of co-occurring disorders on the manifestation 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 to further assess and/or therapy. You can be referred to a specialist psychologist for a more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing co-occurring conditions, such as depression or anxiety. This will help your Psychologist suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing providing explanations for long-standing problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and extensive tool, helps improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms at various stages of life. It also helps identify patterns of behavior that are persistent and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the intensity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the individual in different settings. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has high sensitivity compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It has also excellent validity when assessing ADHD in five areas of daily function such as education and work, relationships, home and family social interactions, leisure time and hobbies.
For a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated as well as their family members and friends must be present. This will help build trust and create a therapeutic bond that will be crucial to the success of the evaluation.
A qualified 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 assessment and recommend a treatment program based on the evidence.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment if you think you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an assessment. She can then make an appointment with a specialist to create an effective treatment strategy. Please be aware that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is the recommended treatment.