10 Untrue Answers To Common Diva ADHD Assessment Questions: Do You Know The Correct Answers?
DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview that has been 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 concomitant validity 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
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD affect every aspect of our lives, from relationships to career advancement, and the daily tasks we do. That's why it is so crucial that our ADHD assessments are holistic, looking at how symptoms affect all aspects of life. Dr. Schilling will begin by evaluating your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and how those symptoms have impacted your life.
The DIVA is an interview tool for diagnosing ADHD. adhd assessment for women was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to assess adult ADHD symptoms. It has been proven to have sound sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is highly effective at identifying those who have the disorder. It has the potential to increase awareness of, and the diagnosis of, adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semi-structured, semi-structured diagnostic interview for adults suffering from ADHD available in the country.
To perform the DIVA A trained professional - often psychologist or psychiatrist will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD which include hyperactivity, inattention and an impulsive nature. The clinician will also delve into the person's past, looking at their childhood experiences and how they could influence their present behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear suddenly, they develop through the teenage years, and through adulthood.
The DIVA can detect ADHD because it considers both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in the early years and later in adulthood and how these symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning across five different areas - employment, education relations with family/partners, social activities/leisure, and confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief, which was compared with the CAADID demonstrated low sensitivity and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the presence of ADHD in adults, it is important to assess the symptoms and their history. This can be done by conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms as well as a neurocognitive assessment. It is also crucial to assess the effects of the symptoms on the individual's life and work. This can be determined by conducting a structured interview, the DIVA and, in certain instances, asking for information from family members and friends.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured interview originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined to be used in other countries, including Korea. This study examined the validity of the criterion used to determine the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in an adult clinical sample with ADHD.
During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during childhood and adulthood. They will also ask the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the extent of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician will also gather different sociodemographic information and inquire about any psychiatric co-morbidities.
Patients were assessed for psychiatric co-morbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impairment Screening Instrument (BEARNI) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was determined by two psychiatrists with experience who utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 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 with the WURS scale and has fair validity when compared to 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 diagnostic accuracy of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable to that of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools like ASRS and WURS.
Treatment
If you're not aware of ADHD it can greatly affect your life. This can affect your relationships, academic performance, and work. It can also impact the way you manage your day-to-day activities. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms.
A qualified professional (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have a structured discussion with you using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. It will include standardised questions regarding your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and an impulsiveness. It will also look into your personal history, including childhood experiences to get a complete picture of the symptoms you are experiencing.
This method is essential for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also allows us to identify the root cause of your symptoms, which can help determine the best treatment for you.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD and has high sensitivity and precision. It has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared with self-report scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales and fair validity with Sheehan’s Dysfunction Inventory.
In contrast to the more conventional methods for assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA test is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that are present in both childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis and allowing for an easier comparison of the sociodemographic characteristics of both groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the effect of coexisting disorders on the presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to prescribe medication, it could be necessary to make an appointment with a pediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. They will then refer you to a specialist Psychologist for further thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to determine if there are any differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid disorders, such as anxiety or depression. This will enable your Psychologist determine the best treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It can provide answers to long-standing problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. A successful evaluation requires the expert knowledge of qualified healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment is a structured and extensive tool that assists to improve the accuracy of an adult ADHD diagnosis by assessing symptoms across different life stages. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other disorders that can exhibit similar symptoms for adults, such as anxiety or depression.
In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician uses a structured interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact an individual's life and functioning in a variety of settings. This information can be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and the assessment of a psychiatrist. It also has a high degree of reliability when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work; relationships; home and family social contact; leisure time and hobbies.
A well-validated DIVA assessment requires the participation of the individual being evaluated and their close family members and their friends. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond that will be important to the success of the assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience with the DIVA ADHD assessment can write a detailed professional report. The report will detail the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.
Contact us to make an appointment if you or someone you love may have ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can perform an assessment. She can then make an appointment with specialists to design an effective treatment plan. Please be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.