Prospective screening of substance dependence: The advantages of directness

This study evaluated the ability of several subtle and direct alcoholism screening scales to identify DSM-III-R-defined substance dependence in a university setting. Study participants were university students ( N = 495) who completed the substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Addictive behaviors 1995-03, Vol.20 (2), p.205-213
Main Authors: Svanum, Soren, McGrew, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Alcoholism
Alcoholism - diagnosis
Alcoholism - prevention & control
Alcoholism - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Humans
Male
Mass Screening
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data
Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data
Psychological tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Reproducibility of Results
Social research
Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis
Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control
Substance-Related Disorders - psychology
Techniques and methods
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Summary:This study evaluated the ability of several subtle and direct alcoholism screening scales to identify DSM-III-R-defined substance dependence in a university setting. Study participants were university students ( N = 495) who completed the substance use disorder modules of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule along with the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), and five direct screening questions concerning the consequences of alcohol and drug use. Results indicated that the SASSI had no appreciable ability to identify the 57 study participants who met criteria for a substance use disorder. The MAST also demonstrated limited predictive ability, and results suggested that this is because many MAST items assess the more advanced features of alcoholism, features less common in the substance abuse found among university students. The five direct screening questions were modestly useful, and it is argued that there are advantages to directness when screening for substance use disorders.
ISSN:0306-4603
1873-6327
DOI:10.1016/0306-4603(94)00064-6