DIVA ADHD - adhd assessments is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to enhance 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.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD can affect every aspect of our lives including relationships and career progression to the day-to-day activities that comprise our lives. It is essential that our ADHD assessment is a holistic perspective, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will begin by collecting information about your symptoms and health history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to examine the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been proven to have sound sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is also highly efficient in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It is able to increase awareness and the diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea, as it is the only validated semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
To conduct the DIVA A trained professional - often a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsive nature. The doctor will also look at the history of the individual, including their childhood experiences and the influence on their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear suddenly, they develop through the teenage years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively detect those suffering from ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood and how the symptoms have impacted the person's daily functioning in five different areas of life - education work, family/partner relationships, family and leisure time/social activities, and self-esteem and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to determine the severity of the symptoms and their causes. This can be done through an extensive interview about childhood symptoms as well as a neurological assessment. It is also important to look at the effects of the symptoms on the person's work and life. This can be assessed through a structured medical interview, also known as the DIVA and, in certain instances, getting information from friends and family members.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been revised to be used in other countries, including Korea. The study examined the criterion applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5) in a clinical sample consisting of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA the doctor asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood, the age at which the symptoms begin to manifest, and the severity of impairment resulting from these symptoms. The clinician also collects wide range of sociodemographic data and inquires about any mental health comorbidity.
Patients were examined for psychiatric comorbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 as well as the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Two psychiatrists with experience employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to establish a diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated symptoms both in 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 was shown to have good concordance with the WURS scale and fair concurrent validity with three self-report ratings 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 diagnostic accuracy of the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to that of a clinical diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD it could significantly impact your life. It can affect many areas from your relationships, academic progress and work to the basic tasks of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and difficulties, as well as provide treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and 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 an impulsiveness. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences, to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and the impact they have on your life.
This method is essential to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to determine the root of your symptoms, which helps determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has high sensitivity and specificity. It has also shown to have good criterion valid when compared with self-report scales such as Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales, and has good validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to more traditional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that occur during childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more accurate comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the impact of co-existing disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe treatment, it might be necessary to set up an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You may be referred to an expert psychologist for a thorough assessment of your symptoms and to determine if there are co-occurring or different diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid disorders, such as depression or anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing and provide explanations for lingering issues and opening doors to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of qualified healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a well-organized and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior and differentiates between ADHD symptoms and other conditions that may present similar symptoms for adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In the course of a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a doctor will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series of questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsiveness. The doctor evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact an individual's life and how they function in various environments. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity in comparison to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's assessments. It also has excellent reliability in conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily function that include education and work relationships with family and home social connections, leisure time and hobbies.
For a valid DIVA assessment, the individual being evaluated, their family members and friends must be present. This will help to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that is essential for the success of the assessment.
A qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a comprehensive report. assessed for adhd will detail the findings of the assessment and recommend a treatment plan that is based on the data.
If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from ADHD Contact us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained to use the DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to give a thorough assessment. She can then provide an appointment with a specialist to create an effective treatment plan. Please be aware that a combination of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.