Keep An Eye On This: How Diva ADHD Assessment Is Gaining Ground And What We Can Do About It

DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis

DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to improve ADHD assessments in 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

ADD/ADHD symptoms affect all aspects of our lives from relationships to advancement in our careers and the everyday tasks we have to perform. It is important that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic approach, looking at how the symptoms impact every aspect of our lives. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will begin by collecting details of your symptoms and health history. She will then take the DIVA 5 assessment, a semi-structured interview that is designed to assess the main symptoms of ADD/ADHD as well as how those symptoms have impacted your life.

The DIVA is an interview tool designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been shown to have sound sensitivity and specificity. It is also extremely efficient in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can help raise awareness and help diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.

A trained and experienced clinician, typically a psychiatrist will inquire about the core symptoms of ADHD. These include hyperactivity, inattention and the tendency to be impulsive. The psychologist will also examine the history of the individual and their childhood experiences and the impact on their current behaviours. This is because the signs of ADHD aren't something that just happens to appear in a flash, they manifest throughout one's childhood, teen years, and through adulthood.

The DIVA can effectively detect those suffering from ADHD by taking into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in childhood and adulthood, and how those symptoms have affected an 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.  how to get an adhd assessment  to this other screening tools, such as the WURS-brief which was compared to the CAADID and showed low sensitivity and negative predictive values.

Diagnosis

To determine ADHD in adults, it is crucial to assess the symptoms and their history. This can be accomplished through conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms and an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is essential to take into consideration the impact these symptoms can have on a person's job and daily life. This can be determined conducting a structured interview the DIVA and, in some cases, asking for information from family and friends.

adhd assessment scotland  is a semi-structured interview that was first developed for use with adults in the Netherlands. It has been updated to be used by adults in other countries including Korea. This study evaluated the validity of the Korean version of DIVA (DIVA-5) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD.

During the DIVA the clinician will ask about ADHD symptoms during the early years and in adulthood. They will also ask the age of onset of symptoms and the degree of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician will also collect various sociodemographic data and inquire about any psychiatric co-morbidities.

MINI-S and Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. A diagnosis of clinical ADHD was determined by two experienced psychiatrists who utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to determine the severity of symptoms in adulthood and 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. The diagnostic tool was demonstrated to have good concurrent validity with the WURS scale as well as 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 accuracy of diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be similar to the accuracy of a diagnosis formulated by two renowned psychiatrists. This was in accordance with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools such as ASRS and WURS.

Treatment

Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your life. This can affect your relationships, academic progress as well as your work. It can also affect the way you manage your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you recognize your strengths and difficulties, and also provide solutions to improve your symptoms and coping mechanisms.

A licensed psychologist (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will have a structured discussion with you using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. 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 including childhood experiences to get the full picture of your symptoms.

This method is essential for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This helps us better understand your symptoms and inform your treatment.

The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adult ADHD, with excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been proven to have sound criterion validity when compared with self-report rating scales such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these and reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.

Unlike the more traditional methods of assessing ADHD in adults, the DIVA test is focused on identifying and discussing symptoms that are present in both childhood and in adulthood, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and enabling an easier comparison of sociodemographic traits of the two groups. The DIVA assessment also allows for consideration of the effects of coexisting disorders on presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.

If your Psychologist is unable to recommend medication, it may be necessary to make an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist to further assess and/or therapy.  how to get an adhd assessment  can then refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an in-depth evaluation of your symptoms, and to look for co-occurring diagnoses and differentials. This includes assessing for co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. This will enable your Psychologist 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 experienced medical 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 helps identify patterns of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other disorders that may present similar symptoms in adults, like anxiety or depression.

In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsiveness. The clinician evaluates the frequency, severity and duration of these symptoms to understand how they impact an individual's life and functioning in a variety of settings. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.

The DIVA assessment has been validated against other diagnostic tools and exhibits high sensitivity in comparison to the WURS-brief and CAA-DID as well as an assessment by a psychiatrist. It also has excellent reliability when it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: education and work as well as relationships with home and family social contact; leisure time and hobbies.

A well-validated DIVA assessment requires participation from the person being assessed as well as their closest family members and friends. This will help build trust and a strong therapeutic bond, which is essential to the success of your assessment.

A skilled psychologist or psychiatrist who has been trained in the use of the DIVA ADHD assessment can give a thorough report. The report will detail the findings of the test and suggest a treatment plan that is based on evidence.

Please contact us to schedule an appointment if you suspect you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and is able to provide an assessment. She will refer you to a specialist who will develop an appropriate treatment strategy. Please be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.