DIVA ADHD - just click the following webpage is a semi-structured interview that was developed to improve ADHD assessments in adults. This study is aimed at assessing the validity of the criterion used to determine DIVA 2.0 and its validity in conjunction with 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
Symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives including relationships and career progression to the daily tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments are holistic and look at how the symptoms impact all areas of our lives. Dr. Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview designed to evaluate the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the impact these symptoms have had on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool for diagnosing ADHD. It was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to evaluate adult ADHD symptoms. It has been shown to have a high sensitivity to sound and a high degree of specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those 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, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults with ADHD available in the country.
A qualified clinician, typically psychiatrists, will ask questions to determine the primary symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician will also delve into the individual's history by looking at their early experiences and how those may have influenced their behavior. The symptoms of ADHD are not sudden. They develop over a period of time from childhood through teen years and adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively identify people suffering from ADHD, as it takes into account both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD during childhood and into adulthood, and how those symptoms have affected an individual'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. In comparison, other screening tools such as the WURS-brief, which was compared to the CAADID and showed low accuracy and negative predictive values.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is important to evaluate the symptoms and their history. This can be done with a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as a neurological assessment. It is also crucial to look at the effects of the symptoms on the person's life and work. This can be evaluated by conducting a structured interview, called the DIVA, and in some instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is an interview that is semi-structured and was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined for use in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in an adult clinical sample with ADHD.
During the DIVA, the clinician asks about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, as well as the time at which the symptoms onset, and the extent of impairment caused by those symptoms. The clinician will also collect different sociodemographic information and ask about any psychiatric 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 psychiatrists with experience utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They evaluated 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 was shown to have good concordance with the WURS scale, and 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 diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in agreement with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you have an undiagnosed ADHD, it can significantly affect your life. This can affect your relationships, academic performance as well as your work. It can also impact how you organize 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 clinician, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you regarding your symptoms currently using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. This will involve asking standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also examine your personal history and childhood experiences to give you an accurate picture of your symptoms.
This approach is essential to a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. It also allows us to determine the root of your symptoms, which will help 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 a good criterion-validated test when compared to self-report scales such as Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these scales and has fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to more traditional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest 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 assessment can also be used to assess the effects of coexisting disorders on symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist for further thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. This will allow your Psychologist to suggest a suitable treatment plan.
Getting Started
Getting diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life and provide explanations for lingering problems and opening the door to effective treatment options. A successful evaluation requires the expertise of trained healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and comprehensive tool that helps to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by evaluating symptoms across different life stages. It also detects patterns of behavior that persist of behavior and differentiates between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions which may have similar symptoms for adults, such as 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 the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms to determine how they impact the individual's life and how they function in several environments. This information can be used to make an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and shows high sensitivity when compared with the WURS-brief, CAA DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It also has excellent accuracy when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships, home and family social interactions; free time and leisure.
A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and close friends. This will help to build trust and create a therapeutic bond that will be essential for the success of the evaluation.
A psychiatrist or psychologist with experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write a detailed, professional report. This report will outline the findings of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based on the evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love might have ADHD. 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 formulate an appropriate treatment strategy. Be aware that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is the best treatment.