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DIVA ADHD – Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis DIVA is an interview with a semistructured format that was developed to enhance ADHD assessment for adults. This study aims at evaluating the validity of the criterion used to determine DIVA 2.0 as well as 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 The symptoms of ADD/ADHD can affect every area of life from relationships and career advancement to the everyday tasks that are part of our lives. That's why it is so important that our ADHD assessments adopt a holistic approach and look at how the symptoms affect all aspects of life. Dr. Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct the DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview that evaluates both the core symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD on your life. The DIVA is a diagnostic interview tool developed by psychiatrists and psychologists to evaluate adult ADHD symptoms. It has been shown to have high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is also extremely effective in identifying individuals suffering from the disorder. I Am Psychiatry can increase awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country. To perform the DIVA the trained clinician – often a psychiatrist or psychologist – will inquire about the primary symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity, and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician will also examine the history of the individual and their childhood experiences and the impact on their current behaviours. This is because the symptoms of ADHD don't just emerge suddenly, they develop throughout one's childhood, teen years, and into adulthood. The DIVA can identify ADHD because it considers both the DSM-IV ADHD criteria in childhood and in adulthood, and how these symptoms have affected the person's daily functioning across five areas: education, employment, family/partner relationships social activities/leisure, as well as self-esteem/confidence. In comparison, other screening tools such as the WURS-brief which was compared with the CAADID which showed poor accuracy and negative predictive values. Diagnosis To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is essential to assess the symptoms and their history. This can be done by an extensive interview regarding childhood symptoms and an assessment of neurocognitive capacity. It is also essential 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 friends and family members. The DIVA is an interview that is semi-structured and was first developed for use with adults in the Netherlands. It has been refined 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 patients with ADHD. During the DIVA the doctor will inquire about ADHD symptoms in the early years and in adulthood. They will also ask the age of onset of symptoms and the extent of impairment caused by these symptoms. The clinician also collects wide range of sociodemographic data and inquires about any psychiatric or comorbidity. Patients were examined for psychiatric comorbidity using the MINI-S plus version 5.0.0 as well as 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 years of experience who utilized the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 to evaluate 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 to the WURS scale, and fair validity when compared with three self-report ratings instruments which 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 accuracy of diagnosis of the DIVA-5 was found to be comparable with that of a clinical diagnosis made by two experienced psychiatrists. This was in line both with the sensitivity as well as specificity of earlier screening tools, like ASRS and WURS. Treatment Undiagnosed ADHD can have a significant impact on your daily life. It can impact your relationships, academic performance, and work. It can also impact the way you organize your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and provide treatment options to improve your symptoms and provide coping mechanisms. A trained professional (typically a psychiatrist or a psychologist) will conduct an organized conversation with you using the DIVA-5 tool to assess your current symptoms. This will include asking standard questions about your levels hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. It will also dig into your personal history, including childhood experiences to get a complete picture of your symptoms. This method is essential to ensure a complete 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 adults with ADHD and has excellent sensitivity and specificity. It has also been shown to be a good criterion-validated test when compared with self-report scales, such as the 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 evaluation, in contrast to the more conventional methods of assessing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying symptoms that manifest in childhood and into adulthood. This increases the accuracy of diagnoses and allows a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The DIVA assessment also permits consideration of the effect of co-existing disorders on the presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms. If your Psychologist is unable to recommend treatment, it might be necessary to make an appointment with a pediatrician or Psychiatrist for further assessment and/or therapy. You can be referred to an expert psychologist for a more thorough evaluation of your symptoms and to determine if there is any co-occurring or different diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions like depression and anxiety. This will enable your Psychologist the best treatment plan. Getting Started A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It offers solutions to persistent problems and opens the way to effective treatment options. However, a good evaluation requires the expertise of experienced healthcare professionals. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, can help to improve the adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also helps identify patterns of behavior and distinguishes between ADHD symptoms and other conditions that may present similar symptoms in adults, like anxiety or depression. In a DIVA ADHD evaluation, a clinician will use an organized interview to ask a series of questions about symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and the tendency to be impulsive. The clinician evaluates the intensity, frequency and duration of symptoms to determine how they affect an individual in different settings. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis. The DIVA assessment has been validated in comparison to other diagnostic tools. It shows high sensitivity when compared to WURS-briefs, CAA-DIDs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has a high degree of validity 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 interactions; free time and hobbies. A valid DIVA assessment requires the participation of the person being evaluated and their close family members and close friends. This will help establish trust and strengthen the therapeutic connection, which is crucial to the success of your evaluation. A psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an in-depth, professional report. This report will present the results of the assessment and provide a treatment strategy that is based upon evidence. Please contact us to schedule an appointment if you think you or someone you love might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can perform an evaluation. She can then provide a referral to a specialist to develop an effective treatment plan. Please be aware that the recommended treatment method is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.