A study to validate a self-reported version of the ONS drug dependence questionnaire

Aim: A prospective study to establish the reliability of a self-completion version of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) questionnaire for assessing drug dependence of substance misuse clients. Method: A total of 47 treatment seeking opioid-dependent clients completed the self-complete version...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of substance use 2011-08, Vol.16 (4), p.273-281
Main Authors: Uddin, M., Maskrey, V., Holland, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crack
Drug dependence
Drug dependency
Heroin
Methadone
self report
Sensitivity
Urine
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Summary:Aim: A prospective study to establish the reliability of a self-completion version of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) questionnaire for assessing drug dependence of substance misuse clients. Method: A total of 47 treatment seeking opioid-dependent clients completed the self-complete version of the ONS questionnaire (ONS-sc) followed by the interviewer-administered ONS questionnaire (ONS-ia) at a single clinic appointment. Scores for four Class A drugs (heroin, methadone, speed and crack cocaine) from both formats were compared. Results: The observed agreement was 87% or more and Cohen's kappa was 0.7 (p < 0.001) or more for all four Class A drugs. Sensitivity for each Class A drugs was 56% or higher and specificity was 87% or higher. Sensitivity for severe heroin dependency was 98% (CI 89-100%). There was a 100% correlation between the ONS-sc and positive urine analysis for heroin use. However, methadone and crack cocaine drug use appeared under reported. Conclusion: ONS-sc is a feasible, practical and time-saving alternative to a detailed interview on drug dependence. Further research with a larger sample size and non-opiate-dependent clients are needed, as this could prove a useful tool for monitoring clients in everyday practice, or for survey purposes where interviews are impractical.
ISSN:1465-9891
1475-9942
DOI:10.3109/14659890903490781