DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview designed to improve ADHD assessments in adults. This study aims to evaluate 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.
Symptoms
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD impact every aspect of our lives, from relationships and career progression to the day-to-day activities that comprise our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments are holistic, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of our lives. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by obtaining details of your symptoms and health history. She will then conduct a DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD on your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool for diagnosing ADHD. It was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to determine adult ADHD symptoms. It has been shown to have sound sensitivity and specificity. It is also highly effective in identifying those with the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
To perform the DIVA the trained clinician typically psychologists or psychiatrists will ask questions about the main symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The doctor will also dig into the individual's history by looking at their early experiences and how they may have affected their current behaviours. This is because the signs of ADHD don't just emerge suddenly, they develop through the teenage years, and into adulthood.
The DIVA can identify ADHD because it takes into account both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in the early years and later in adulthood and how these signs have affected the person's daily functioning in five distinct areas - employment, education and family/partner relationships, social activities/leisure, and self-esteem/confidence. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to evaluate the signs and symptoms along with their background. This can be done by an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is also crucial to assess the effects of the symptoms on the individual's life and work. This can be evaluated through a structured medical interview, the DIVA and, in certain instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA is a semi-structured interview that was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been re-edited for use in other countries, including Korea. This study looked at the criteria applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5), in a clinical sample consisting of adults suffering from ADHD.
During the DIVA The clinician will inquire about the presence of ADHD symptoms in childhood and adulthood, the age at which symptoms begin to manifest, and the severity of impairment caused by those symptoms. The doctor also collects a variety of sociodemographic information and asks about any mental health or comorbidity.
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). A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was determined by two experienced psychiatrists who used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to evaluate symptoms in both the early years and in 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 concordance with the WURS scale as well as fair concurrent validity with three self-report rating instruments: 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 comparable with the accuracy of a diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in accordance 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. It can affect many areas from your relationships, academic and work progress to the basic tasks of organising daily living. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and also provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and coping mechanism.
A licensed clinician (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will conduct a structured conversation with you using the DIVA-5 tool to assess your current symptoms. It will include standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity. It will also examine your personal history and childhood experiences to get the full picture of your symptoms.
This method is crucial for a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. This allows us to better comprehend your symptoms and guide your treatment.
The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high specificity and sensitivity. It has also been proven 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 fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
Unlike the more traditional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA assessment is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that can be observed in the teen years and into adulthood, increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and allowing for a more accurate comparison between sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the impact of coexisting disorders on manifestation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it could be necessary to make an appointment with a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You can be referred a specialist psychologist for a more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid disorders like anxiety and depression. This will allow your Psychologist to recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
Being diagnosed with ADHD can have a profound impact on your life providing explanations for long-standing difficulties and opening doors to effective treatment options. A good evaluation does require the expertise of qualified healthcare providers. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a standardized and comprehensive tool that helps to improve the accuracy of adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across various life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions that may present similar symptoms in adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In the DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact on the person's life and performance in several situations. This information can be used to determine an accurate diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and a psychiatrist's assessment. It also has excellent reliability for assessing 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 assessed as well as their closest family members and friends. This helps to establish trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that will be crucial to the success of the evaluation.
An experienced psychologist or psychiatrist who is skilled in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can provide a comprehensive report. The report will detail the findings of the test and recommend a treatment plan based on the evidence.
Please contact us to set up an appointment if you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessments and can provide a thorough evaluation. She will refer you to a specialist who will formulate a treatment plan. Be are adhd assessments covered by insurance that the recommended treatment approach is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.