DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to enhance ADHD assessment for 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.
Symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships to career advancement and the everyday tasks we have to perform. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments are holistic, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of life. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting information about your symptoms and health background. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured interview that evaluates both the core symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is a diagnostic interview tool created by psychologists and psychiatrists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been demonstrated to be highly sensitive and specific. It is highly effective at identifying those suffering from the disorder. It can increase awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea as it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA, a trained clinician - often psychologists or psychiatrists will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD which include inattention, hyperactivity, and an impulsive nature. The doctor will also examine the history of the individual, including their childhood experiences and the impact on their current behaviours. The symptoms of ADHD do not appear suddenly. They develop over a period of time from childhood through teen years and then into adulthood.
The DIVA is able to effectively identify those with ADHD by taking into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how these symptoms have affected an person's daily functioning in five different areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations 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
To determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the symptoms and their history. This can be done by a comprehensive interview about childhood symptoms and a neurocognitive assessment. It is also important to consider the impact of the symptoms on the person's work and life. This can be determined conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in some cases, asking for 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 revised for use with adult patients in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the criteria valid of the Korean version (DIVA-5), in a clinical sample consisting of patients with ADHD.
During the DIVA, the clinician asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, as well as the age at which symptoms begin to manifest, and the severity of impairment resulting from these symptoms. The clinician also collects a diverse set of sociodemographic data and inquires about any mental health comorbidity.
Patients were assessed for psychiatric co-morbidity 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 psychiatrists with years of experience who used the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to assess symptoms in both the early years and in childhood, and determine the duration of these 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 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 DIVA-5's diagnostic accuracy was found to be similar to that of a clinical diagnoses that were made by two psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of previous screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
Undiagnosed ADHD can have a major impact on your life. adhd assessment uk free www.iampsychiatry.com can be in many aspects, from relationships to academic progress and work to the simple task of organising your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses as well as offer solutions to improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.
A licensed psychologist (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct a structured discussion with you, using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. This will involve standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also examine your personal history including your childhood experiences to create the full picture of your symptoms.
This is essential to ensure a complete diagnosis of adult ADHD. This helps us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is a highly efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been shown to have sound criterion validity, when compared to self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales, and has reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to the more conventional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest in the teen years and in adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnoses and allows a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the effect of co-existing disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist does not prescribe medication, you may require an appointment with a Psychiatrist or a Paediatrician to discuss further assessment and/or treatment. You may be referred to psychologists who specialize in more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there are any co-occurring or different diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. This will enable your Psychologist to suggest an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can be life-changing, offering explanations for long-standing problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. However, a reliable assessment requires the expertise of experienced healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and comprehensive tool that can help to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions which may have similar symptoms in adults, like depression or anxiety.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. The clinician assesses the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine the extent to which they affect the individual in different settings. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA test is validated in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity when compared to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs, 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 contacts, and leisure time and hobbies.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and their friends. This helps build trust and a strong therapeutic connection, which is crucial to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a detailed professional report. This report will outline the findings of the test and provide a treatment strategy that is based upon evidence.
If you think you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD, please contact us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an evaluation. She can then provide an appointment with specialists to design an effective treatment plan. Be aware that an amalgamation of psychotherapy and medication is the best treatment.