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DIVA ADHD – Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis DIVA is a semi-structured, structured interview that has been developed to improve ADHD assessments for adults. This study is designed to assess the criterion validity of DIVA 2.0 and its concomitant 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 all aspects of life, from relationships and career progression to the daily tasks that make up our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach by examining how symptoms affect every aspect of our lives. In your assessment, Dr. Schilling will begin by collecting details about your symptoms as well as health history. She will then conduct a DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview that examines both the primary symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life. The DIVA is an interviewing instrument designed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to evaluate the symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been proven to have a high sensitivity to sound and specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea since it is the only validated semistructured diagnosis interview available in the country. To conduct the DIVA the trained clinician usually a psychiatrist or psychologist – will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The psychologist will also examine the history of the individual, including their childhood experiences as well as their impact on their current behaviours. The symptoms of ADHD don't appear in a flash. They appear over a long period of time from childhood to teenage years and 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 in five distinct areas – education, employment relations with family/partners and leisure/social activities, as well as self-esteem/confidence. Other screening tools, such as the WURS brief that was compared to the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value. Diagnosis In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is crucial to evaluate the signs and symptoms as well as their history. This can be done by conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms and an assessment of the neurocognitive. It is also crucial to consider the effects of the symptoms on the person's life and work. This can be determined using a structured interview, the DIVA and, in some instances, obtaining information from family and friends. The DIVA 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. The study examined the criterion applicable to the Korean version (DIVA-5) in the clinical sample of adults suffering from ADHD. During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms during the early years of life and into adulthood. They will also inquire about the age of onset of symptoms and the extent of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician will also collect various sociodemographic data and ask about any psychiatric-related co-morbidity. The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0 The MINI-S plus Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI) as well as the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to detect psychiatric co-morbidity. Two psychiatrists who are experienced employed the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms in adulthood as well as 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 has good concurrent validity when compared to the WURS scale, and fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments that include 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 established by two expert psychiatrists. This was in line both with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools, such as ASRS and WURS. Treatment If you have an undiagnosed ADHD it can greatly affect your life. This can be in many areas, from relationships, academic progress and work to the simple task of managing your daily life. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and cope mechanisms. A trained psychologist (typically psychiatrists or psychologist) will conduct an organized conversation with you, using the DIVA-5 instrument to assess your current symptoms. It will ask you standard questions regarding your levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It will also dig into your personal history, including your childhood experiences to create the full picture of your symptoms. This approach is essential to a thorough adult ADHD diagnosis. This helps us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment. The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adults with ADHD, with high sensitivity and precision. It has also been shown to be valid as a criterion when compared to self-report rating scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good consistency with these scales and reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory. The DIVA evaluation, in contrast to traditional methods for measuring ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest in childhood and adults. This improves the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more precise comparison of sociodemographic traits between the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the effect of coexisting disorders on the symptoms and severity of ADHD symptoms. If your Psychologist cannot recommend medication, you may need to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or Paediatrician for further assessment and/or treatment. They can refer you to a specialist Psychologist to conduct an thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to assess for co-occurring diagnoses or differential diagnoses. This includes assessing for co-occurring conditions like depression and anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist an appropriate treatment plan. Getting Started A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. It offers solutions to persistent issues and opens the door to effective treatment options. However, a reliable assessment requires the expertise of qualified medical professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, which is a structured and extensive tool, helps to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also identifies persistent patterns of behavior, and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and those of other conditions which may have similar symptoms for adults, such as depression or anxiety. In an DIVA ADHD assessment, a doctor conducts an interview to ask an array of questions about symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an individual in different settings. This information is then used to create an accurate diagnosis. The DIVA test is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. more.. has a high sensitivity in comparison to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs, and psychiatrist's assessments. It has also excellent validity for it comes to assessing ADHD in five areas of daily functioning such as education and work, relationships, home and family social interactions, leisure time and hobbies. For a valid DIVA assessment, the person being evaluated, their family members and friends must be present. This will help build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be essential to the success of your evaluation. A psychologist or psychiatrist with experience with the DIVA ADHD assessment can write an in-depth professional report. The report will detail the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence. If you suspect that you or a loved one might have ADHD Contact us to make an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained in the use of DIVA ADHD assessments and is able to provide a comprehensive evaluation. She can then make an appointment with a specialist to develop an effective treatment plan. Be aware that the treatment plan recommended is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.