Notes

5 Laws Anybody Working In Diva ADHD Assessment Should Be Aware Of
DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis

DIVA is an interview that is semistructured designed to enhance ADHD assessment in adults. This study will evaluate the validity of the criteria used in DIVA 2.0 as well as 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

ADD/ADHD symptoms affect all aspects of our lives from relationships to career advancement and the everyday tasks we have to perform. It is essential that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic perspective, looking at how symptoms impact all aspects of our lives. During your assessment, Dr Schilling will start by gathering details about your symptoms as well as health history. She will then conduct an DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured interview that evaluates both the core symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.

The DIVA is an interviewing instrument designed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to assess symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been demonstrated to have high sensitivity and a high degree of specificity. It is extremely effective in identifying those suffering from the disorder. It is able to raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.

A qualified clinician, typically psychiatrists, will inquire about the core symptoms of ADHD. These include inattention, hyperactivity and an impulsive nature. The clinician will also delve into the individual's history by looking at their early experiences and how they may have influenced their behavior. This is because the signs of ADHD do not just appear at a moment's notice, they are developed 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 signs have affected the person's daily functioning in five distinct areas - education, employment and family/partner relationships and leisure/social activities, as well as confidence in oneself. Other screening tools, like the WURS brief that was compared with the CAADID revealed low sensitivity and negative predictive value.

Diagnosis

In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, it is important to determine the severity of the symptoms and their causes. This can be done through conducting a thorough interview about childhood symptoms and a neurocognitive assessment. It is also crucial to look at the effects of the symptoms on the person's life and work. This can be evaluated through a structured medical interview, called the DIVA, and in some cases, obtaining information from friends and family members.

The DIVA is an interview with a semi-structured format that was initially developed to be used with adults in the Netherlands. It has been re-edited to be used in other countries including Korea. The study examined the criterion that is valid for the Korean version (DIVA-5) using an actual clinical sample of patients 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 at which symptoms first started to manifest symptoms and the extent of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The clinician will also gather a variety of sociodemographic information and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidity.

The MINI-S as well as Version 5.0.0 and the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), along with the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. Two experienced psychiatrists used the structured diagnostic interview DIVA-5 in order to determine a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. They assessed symptoms both in adulthood and childhood and determined the length 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 with the WURS scale, and has fair validity when compared to 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 DIVA-5's diagnostic accuracy was found to be similar to that of a clinical diagnosis given by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the sensitivity and specificity of earlier screening tools like ASRS and WURS.

Treatment

If you have an undiagnosed ADHD, it can significantly impact your life. This can affect your relationships, academic performance as well as your work. It can also impact the way you manage your day-to-day activities. A diagnosis can help identify your strengths and weaknesses, and provide treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and cope mechanisms.

A trained clinician, usually psychologist or psychiatrist, will conduct an in-depth interview with you about your symptoms currently using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. It will include standardised questions about your levels of hyperactivity, attention deficit and impulsivity. It will also explore your personal history, including childhood experiences, in order to obtain a complete picture of your symptoms and their impact on your life.

This method is essential for ensuring a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. This will help us better know your symptoms and help you with your treatment.


The DIVA assessment can be used to diagnose adult ADHD with high sensitivity and specificity. It has also been demonstrated to be valid as a criterion when compared with self-report scales for rating such as the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity with these and reasonable validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.

In contrast to the more conventional methods used to assess ADHD in adults, the DIVA evaluation is focused on identifying and discussing the symptoms that are present in both childhood and adulthood, thereby increasing the accuracy of diagnosis and enabling an easier comparison of sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the effects of co-existing disorders on the presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.

If your Psychologist does not prescribe medication, you might require an appointment with a psychiatrist or a Paediatrician to discuss further assessment and/or treatment. They will then refer you to a specialist Psychologist for further thorough evaluation of your symptoms, and to look for differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing for comorbid conditions like anxiety and depression. This will help your Psychologist suggest a suitable treatment plan.

Getting Started

A diagnosis of ADHD can transform your life. It can provide answers to persistent problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. A thorough evaluation requires 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 detects patterns of behavior that remain and aids in distinguishing between ADHD symptoms and other disorders like anxiety or depression.

In a DIVA ADHD assessment, a clinician conducts a structured interview to ask several questions regarding 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 various situations. This information can be used to create an accurate diagnosis.

The DIVA assessment has been verified against other diagnostic tools and has shown high sensitivity when compared to the WURS-brief, CAA-DID and the assessment of a psychiatrist. It has also excellent validity for conducting an assessment of ADHD in five areas of daily functioning: work and education, relationships, home and family social interactions, leisure time and hobbies.

A well-validated DIVA assessment requires the participation of the individual being assessed as well as their closest family members and close friends. how do i get my son assessed for adhd helps build trust and strengthen the therapeutic bond, which will be crucial to the success of your evaluation.

A psychologist or psychiatrist who has expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can give an in-depth professional report. This report will outline the results of the assessment and suggest a treatment plan that is based upon evidence.

Please contact us to set up an appointment if you think you or someone you know might be suffering from ADHD. Our doctor Kate Schilling is trained in the DIVA ADHD assessment and can provide an evaluation. She will refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment strategy. Be aware that the recommended treatment approach is a combination of medications and psychotherapy.

Homepage: https://www.iampsychiatry.com/private-adhd-assessment