DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study aims at evaluating the validity of the criteria used in DIVA 2.0 and its concurrent validity compared to 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
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact all aspects of life from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments take a holistic approach and look at how the symptoms affect every aspect of life. Dr Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured interview that examines both the primary symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an instrument for diagnostic interviews developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to have a high sensitivity to sound and specificity. It is highly effective at identifying those who have the disorder. adhd assessments has the potential to increase awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
To perform the DIVA the trained clinician usually a psychiatrist or psychologist - will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The clinician will also delve into the person's past by looking at their early experiences and how they may have affected their current behaviours. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear in a flash, they manifest throughout one's childhood, teen years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can identify ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria during childhood and into adulthood and how these signs affect the individual's daily functioning in five distinct areas - employment, education, family/partner relationships, social activities/leisure, and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is important to evaluate the symptoms and their history. This can be done with an extensive interview about childhood symptoms and a neurological examination. It is important to consider the impact these symptoms have on the person's work and life. This can be evaluated by conducting a structured interview, also known as the DIVA and, in some instances, asking for information from friends and family members.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally designed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined for use in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the criteria applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5) in an actual clinical sample of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also ask the age at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the degree of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician also collects a variety of sociodemographic information and inquires about any mental health or comorbidity.
Patients were examined 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). A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was made 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 was shown to have good compatibility with the WURS scale as well as fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating instruments: the 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 diagnosing ADHD with the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with the accuracy of a diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a major impact on your daily life. This could be in a variety of areas, from relationships, academic and work progress to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses, and provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you regarding your current symptoms using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve asking standardised questions about your levels hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. It will also explore your personal history, including your childhood experiences, in order to get a full picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This method is essential for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also helps us identify the root cause of your symptoms, which can help inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to identify adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been shown to be a good criterion-validated test when compared with self-report scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has a good concordance with these scales, and has fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA evaluation, unlike more traditional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that are present in childhood and into adulthood. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the impact of coexisting disorders on presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to set up an appointment with a pediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. They will then refer you to an expert Psychologist for more thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing, offering explanations for long-standing difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist and helps distinguish between ADHD symptoms and other conditions like anxiety or depression.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions about symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The clinician evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms to understand how they impact the individual's life and functioning in various environments. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and has shown high sensitivity when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA DID and the assessment of a psychiatrist. It also has a high degree of validity for conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily function such as education and work, relationships with family and home, social contacts, and free time and hobbies.
To be able to conduct an authentic DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated as well as their family members and friends must be present. This will help to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond which is crucial for the success of the evaluation.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an in-depth, professional report. This report will outline the results of the assessment and provide a treatment strategy that is based on the evidence.
If you think you or a loved one might have ADHD, please contact us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an assessment. She will refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment plan. Please be aware that the combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.