A Provocative Remark About Diva ADHD Assessment

DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis

DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to improve ADHD assessments for adults. This study will evaluate the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction 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. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach by examining how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. Dr Schilling will begin by assessing 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, and how those symptoms have impacted your life.

The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to evaluate adult ADHD symptoms. It has been demonstrated to have high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.

A qualified clinician, typically a psychiatrist will inquire about the most prominent symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician will also examine the history of the individual and their childhood experiences as well as their influence on their behavior. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge suddenly, they develop throughout the teen years, and into adulthood.

The DIVA can efficiently identify those with ADHD, as it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood, and how those symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning in five distinct areas of life - education, work, family/partner relations social activities/leisure time and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.

Diagnosis

To determine ADHD in adults, it is important that you evaluate the symptoms and their history. This can be accomplished through an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms and a neurocognitive assessment. It is important to consider the impact that the symptoms have on the person's work and daily life. This can be determined using a structured clinical interview, also known as the DIVA, and in some 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 revised to be used by adults in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the criterion valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5) using a clinical sample consisting of adults with ADHD.

During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood, the age at which symptoms first manifest, as well as the extent of impairment resulting from these symptoms. The doctor also collects a variety of sociodemographic information and inquires about any mental health co-morbidity.

Patients were screened for psychiatric comorbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI), and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Two experienced psychiatrists employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to establish 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 with the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments: 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 diagnostics was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis given by two psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools, such ASRS and WURS.

Treatment

Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This could be in a variety of areas, from relationships, academic progress and work to the simple tasks of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, and also offer treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms.

A qualified professional (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will have a structured conversation with you using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will consist of regular questions about your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also explore your personal history, including childhood experiences, to get a full picture of your symptoms and their impacts on your life.

This approach is crucial to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. This allows us to better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.

The DIVA assessment is a highly effective way of diagnosing adult ADHD with high sensitivity and precision. It has also been shown to be a good criterion-validated test when compared to self-report scales, such as the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these and fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.

Unlike the more traditional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA test focuses on identifying and discussing symptoms that are present in both childhood and adulthood, thereby increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and enabling a more accurate comparison between the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups. The DIVA evaluation also offers an opportunity to consider the effect of co-occurring conditions on the manifestation of ADHD symptoms.

If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, you may need to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or a paediatrician for a more thorough evaluation and/or treatment. You can be referred psychologists who specialize in more in-depth assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid conditions, such as anxiety or depression. This will allow your Psychologist to determine the best treatment plan.

Getting Started

A diagnosis of ADHD can change your life. It provides answers to long-standing problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. However, a thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified medical experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a structured and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other disorders that may present similar symptoms in adults, such as anxiety or depression.

In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a doctor will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect the person in various situations. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.

The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and shows high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief, CAA DID and an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has excellent accuracy when assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships, home and family social contact; leisure time and hobbies.

A well-validated DIVA assessment requires participation from the person being assessed as well as their closest family members and close friends. This will help to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that is crucial to the success of the assessment.

An experienced psychiatrist or psychologist who is trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment will be able to provide a comprehensive report.  he said  will detail the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment program that is based on the data.

Contact us to make an appointment if you or someone you know might be suffering from 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 an appropriate treatment strategy. Be aware that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is the best treatment.