Ultra-rapid screening for substance-use disorders: The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST-Lite)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ultra-rapid screening for substance-use disorders

T2 - The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST-Lite)

AU - Ali, Robert

AU - Meena, Sonali

AU - Eastwood, Brian

AU - Richards, Ian

AU - Marsden, John

PY - 2013/9/1

Y1 - 2013/9/1

N2 - Background: The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST 3.0; index test) is a structured interview for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, sedatives and opioid use disorders in general medical settings. Perceived administration time deters routine use. This study releases a short-form: the ASSIST-Lite. Methods: Diagnostic accuracy study among 2082 adults recruited from general medical (70%) and specialist mental health/addiction treatment services (22%). Current DSM-IV substance dependence (MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and moderate-severe tobacco dependence (Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test) were reference standards. Exploratory factor and item-response theory models re-calibrated ordinal test items. Items for the ASSIST-Lite were selected by diagnostic accuracy evaluation (area under the receiver-operating characteristic [AUC] curve [<= 0.7]), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values [PVP, NVP], kappa, likelihood ratios [LR+, LR-], and clinical utility index [CU+, CU-]). Results: For each substance an item pair was selected (AUC [0.8-1.0], sensitivity [0.8-1.0], specificity [0.7-0.8], PVP [0.8-1.0], NVP [0.7-1.0], kappa [0.5-0.9], LR+ [2.5-5.9], LR- [0.0-0.2], CU+ [0.7-0.9], and CU- [0.5-0.8]). Gender, age and recruitment setting (specialist mental health versus general medical) did not moderate accuracy, with the exception of opioids (AUC <0.7, participants >= 59 years). Male opioid users had more severe substance involvement scores that females (differential item functioning analysis, P=0.00). There was no evidence of differential accuracy between countries (AUC range, 0.8-1.0). Conclusion: The ASSIST-Lite is an ultra-rapid screener which has been optimised for general medical settings. Optionally, a criterion question can be added to capture hazardous drinking, and to capture use of another type of mood-altering substance. 

AB - Background: The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST 3.0; index test) is a structured interview for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, sedatives and opioid use disorders in general medical settings. Perceived administration time deters routine use. This study releases a short-form: the ASSIST-Lite. Methods: Diagnostic accuracy study among 2082 adults recruited from general medical (70%) and specialist mental health/addiction treatment services (22%). Current DSM-IV substance dependence (MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and moderate-severe tobacco dependence (Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test) were reference standards. Exploratory factor and item-response theory models re-calibrated ordinal test items. Items for the ASSIST-Lite were selected by diagnostic accuracy evaluation (area under the receiver-operating characteristic [AUC] curve [<= 0.7]), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values [PVP, NVP], kappa, likelihood ratios [LR+, LR-], and clinical utility index [CU+, CU-]). Results: For each substance an item pair was selected (AUC [0.8-1.0], sensitivity [0.8-1.0], specificity [0.7-0.8], PVP [0.8-1.0], NVP [0.7-1.0], kappa [0.5-0.9], LR+ [2.5-5.9], LR- [0.0-0.2], CU+ [0.7-0.9], and CU- [0.5-0.8]). Gender, age and recruitment setting (specialist mental health versus general medical) did not moderate accuracy, with the exception of opioids (AUC <0.7, participants >= 59 years). Male opioid users had more severe substance involvement scores that females (differential item functioning analysis, P=0.00). There was no evidence of differential accuracy between countries (AUC range, 0.8-1.0). Conclusion: The ASSIST-Lite is an ultra-rapid screener which has been optimised for general medical settings. Optionally, a criterion question can be added to capture hazardous drinking, and to capture use of another type of mood-altering substance. 

KW - Alcohol, Smoking and Substance

KW - Involvement Screening Test

KW - ASSIST-Lite

KW - Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulant, sedative, opioid, substance use disorder

KW - Substance dependence

KW - Screening

KW - ITEM RESPONSE THEORY

KW - ILLICIT DRUG

KW - DSM-IV

KW - VALIDATION

KW - CARE

KW - RELIABILITY

KW - DEPENDENCE

KW - CRITERIA

U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.03.001

DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.03.001

M3 - Article

SN - 0376-8716

VL - 132

SP - 352

EP - 361

JO - Drug and alcohol dependence

JF - Drug and alcohol dependence

IS - 1-2

M1 - N/A

ER -