DIVA ADHD - Improving Adult ADHD Diagnosis
DIVA is a semi-structured interview that has been developed to enhance ADHD assessments in adults. This study is designed to assess the validity of the criterion used in 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 every aspect of our lives including relationships and career advancement to the everyday tasks that make up our lives. It is important that our ADHD assessment takes a holistic approach, looking at how the symptoms impact all aspects of our lives. Dr. Schilling will begin by assessing your symptoms and medical history. She will then conduct a DIVA 5 assessment. This is a semi-structured, interview which evaluates both the main symptoms and the impact of ADD/ADHD your life.
The DIVA is an interviewing tool developed by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to assess symptoms of adult ADHD. It has been found to be extremely sensitive and precise. It is also extremely efficient in identifying people suffering from the disorder. It can help raise awareness and diagnose adult ADHD in Korea because it is the only validated semistructured diagnostic interview available in the country.
In order to conduct the DIVA, a trained clinician - often a psychiatrist or psychologist - will ask questions about the core symptoms of ADHD which include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The psychologist will also look into the background of the individual, looking at their childhood experiences and how they could have influenced their behavior. The symptoms of ADHD do not appear suddenly. They develop over a time from childhood through teen years and then into adulthood.
The DIVA can effectively detect those suffering from ADHD, as it takes into consideration both the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in adulthood and childhood and how these symptoms have affected an individual's daily functioning in five areas of life - education and work, family/partnership relations social activities/leisure time and self-esteem and self-confidence. Other screening tools, for instance the WURS brief that was compared with the CAADID showed poor sensitivity, and negative predictive value.
Diagnosis
To diagnose ADHD in adults, it is crucial to assess the symptoms and their causes. adhd assessment cost uk can be accomplished through a comprehensive interview on childhood symptoms as well as an assessment of the neurological. It is essential to take into consideration the impact that the symptoms have on the person's job and daily life. This can be determined using a structured clinical interview, the DIVA, and in some cases, obtaining information from friends and family members.
The DIVA interview is a semistructured, structured interview that was originally developed for adults in the Netherlands. It has been redesigned to be used with adult patients in other countries as well, including Korea. This study looked at 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 in the early years and in adulthood. They will also ask the age at which they first noticed symptoms and the level of impairment triggered by these symptoms. The doctor will also collect various sociodemographic data and ask about any psychiatric co-morbidities.
MINI-S and Version 5.0.0, the Brief Alcohol Related Neuropsychological Impaired Screening Instrument (BEARNI), as well as the Frontal Assessment Battery were used to determine if a psychiatric co-morbidity existed. A clinical diagnosis of ADHD was established by two psychiatrists with years of experience who used the DIVA-5 structured diagnostic interview to evaluate symptoms in both adulthood and 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. The diagnostic tool was demonstrated to have good concordance 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 the DIVA-5's diagnostics was found to be comparable to the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis given by two psychiatrists. This was in line with the specificity and sensitivity of earlier screening tools, such as the ASRS and the WURS.
Treatment
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD it can greatly impact your life. This can affect your relationships, academic performance as well as your work. It can also affect the way you organize your day-to-day life. A diagnosis can help you determine your strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide treatments that can help you manage your symptoms and mechanisms.
A trained clinician, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, will conduct a structured interview with you regarding your symptoms currently using the DIVA-5 assessment tool. It will ask you standard questions about your levels inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It will also dig into your personal history including your childhood experiences to create a complete picture of your symptoms.
This method is essential to ensure a thorough diagnosis of adult ADHD. It also helps us determine the root of your symptoms, which can help inform your treatment.
The DIVA assessment is an extremely efficient method of diagnosing adult ADHD, with excellent sensitivity and specificity. adhd assessment uk cost has also shown to be valid as a criterion when compared to self-report scales like the Wender Utah Rating Scales (WURS) or the ADHD-Rating Scale. It has good concurrent validity these and fair validity with Sheehan's Dysfunction Inventory.
The DIVA assessment, in contrast to the more conventional methods of testing ADHD in adulthood, focuses on identifying the symptoms that manifest in childhood and adults. This increases the accuracy of diagnosis and allows for a more accurate comparison of sociodemographic traits between the two groups. The DIVA assessment can also be used to assess the impact of coexisting disorders on presentation and severity of ADHD symptoms.
If your Psychologist is not able to recommend medication, it could be necessary to set up an appointment with a Pediatrician or Psychiatrist for a further assessment and/or therapy. They can refer you to an expert Psychologist for more in-depth analysis of your symptoms and to determine if there are any differential or co-occurring diagnoses. This includes assessing comorbid conditions, like anxiety or depression. This will enable your Psychologist to suggest an appropriate treatment plan.
Getting Started
A diagnosis of ADHD can change your life. It provides answers to persistent problems and opens the door to effective treatment options. However, a thorough evaluation requires the expertise of experienced healthcare experts. The DIVA ADHD assessment, a well-structured and comprehensive tool, helps to improve adult ADHD diagnosis accuracy by evaluating symptoms across different stages of life. It also detects patterns of behavior that are persistent and assists in determining the difference between ADHD symptoms and other conditions, such as depression or anxiety.
In an DIVA ADHD evaluation, a practitioner will conduct a structured interview in order to ask a series questions regarding symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and an impulsiveness. The doctor evaluates the severity, frequency and duration of these symptoms in order to understand how they impact the individual's life and how they function in several situations. This information can then be utilized to establish a precise diagnosis.
The DIVA test is validated in comparison with other diagnostic tools. It has a high sensitivity in comparison to CAA-DIDs, WURS-briefs and psychiatrist's tests. It also has excellent reliability when it comes to it comes to assessing ADHD symptoms in five areas of daily functioning: work and education as well as relationships with family and home; social contacts; and free time and hobbies.
A valid DIVA assessment requires participation from the person being evaluated as well as their close family members and their friends. This will help build trust and a strong therapeutic bond, which is crucial to the success of your assessment.
A psychologist or psychiatrist with expertise in the DIVA ADHD assessment can write an in-depth professional report. The report will detail the findings of the test and recommend a treatment program based on the evidence.
If you think you or someone you love may be suffering from ADHD, please contact us for an appointment. Our doctor Kate Schilling has been trained to use the DIVA ADHD assessments and can give a thorough assessment. She can refer you to a specialist who will develop a treatment plan. Please be aware that an amalgamation of medication and psychotherapy is the best treatment.