DIVA-5: a diagnostic interview, not a questionnaire

Short answer

DIVA-5 is a semi-structured diagnostic interview for ADHD in adults, based on DSM-5 criteria and published by the DIVA Foundation. A clinician walks through symptoms in adulthood and in childhood, with concrete examples, and asks how they affect daily life. The foundation says it usually takes an hour or more and covers only core ADHD symptoms.

Start the free screener

A rating scale hands you a form. An interview is a conversation that a trained person steers. DIVA-5 sits firmly in the second category, and that difference shapes almost everything about how it is used.

Who is behind it

The foundation states that its aim is to lower the threshold for proper diagnostic assessment of adult ADHD by offering the interview at low cost in many languages. It sells the interview as a protected PDF licensed per clinician, and it has announced a revised edition, DIVA-5-R, now in development.

What happens in the interview

It is semi-structured: the questions follow a set order, but the clinician can ask follow-ups and clarify.
Examples are offered to help you recognize your own experience, not to put words in your mouth.
Where possible, someone who knew you as a child, usually a parent or close relative, adds their memories.
The foundation says it usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half.

What it deliberately leaves out

How it differs from a self-report screener

The free ASRS v1.1 screener on ADHDFalcon is six questions you answer alone in a few minutes, about the past six months. It shows whether your answers match a pattern that may be worth a closer look. DIVA-5 is the closer look: a clinician exploring every core symptom across your whole life, then judging impairment. The two are not alternatives, and neither is ranked above the other here. One can come before the other.

You cannot meaningfully give DIVA-5 to yourself. Its value comes from the clinician's questions, follow-ups and judgment. We do not reproduce any of its content, and we suggest treating unofficial online versions with caution.

Preparing for an interview like this

Because the interview covers childhood and five life areas, a little preparation goes a long way. It can help to jot down a few concrete examples from work or study, home and relationships, and to ask a parent or older relative whether they would be willing to talk with the clinician about your early years. Old school reports can be useful too.

Expect the clinician to ask for examples rather than general impressions. Saying that you lose things is a start; saying that you replaced your keys three times last year gives them something they can weigh. Gaps in memory are normal and worth saying out loud rather than guessing

Which of the five life areas feels most affected right now, and what is one recent example?
Who could describe me as a child, and how would I ask them?
Are there other things going on, such as poor sleep, low mood or worry, that I should mention as well?

A starting point for your next step.

Not yet at the interview stage? The free six-question ASRS v1.1 screener is a quick first step, and the result is yours at no cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is DIVA-5 a test I can take online?

No. It is an interview conducted by a clinician, who asks follow-up questions and judges each answer. The foundation licenses it to clinicians as a PDF.

How long does the DIVA-5 take?

The DIVA Foundation says it usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half.

Does DIVA-5 check for anxiety or depression?

No. It covers only core ADHD symptoms. The foundation recommends a general psychiatric assessment alongside it to look at other conditions.

Sources

Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.

Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.