According to National Center for Biotechnology Information (2016) “[s]ubstance abuse is the number one public health problem for U.S. colleges and universities because it represents the leading cause of preventable death and injury among collegians ages 18–25 years.” There have been many substance use disorder testing instruments that were developed over the years. However, none of the testing instruments has become the standard. One such substance use disorder testing instrument is known as Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST). DAST is used to give an immediate assessment of problems that are drug-related which is necessary for the prevention of drug abuse and clinical care. It takes about five minutes to administer the test. DAST can be given in the form of an interview, computerized or questionnaire. The test could be used in several different areas to assess the quantitative index. This would yield to which degree the drug abuse and the consequences have manifested in the individual. There are two different version of the test known as DAST-20 and DAST-10.
In the DAST-20 can be given in the form of an interview or self-report. It is a 20-item instrument with only 20 questions which can be answered in the either “yes” or “no” format. The purpose of DAST-20 is to provide a method to determine if the individual is a psychoactive drug abuser. Furthermore, the test helps to determine the degree of drug-related problems related to use and misuse by giving a quantitative index score. “Individuals with a severe mental illness frequently have substance abuse and dependence problems, placing them at increased risk for poor treatment outcome” (Cocco & Carey, 1998, p. 408). The test takes five minutes to conduct and two minutes to score. The score results range from 0 to 20 which is calculated by totaling all the questions which show there is a drug problem. There are only two questions within DAST-20 which specifically has a “no” response. A DAST-20 score of a six or more is considered a purpose finding case. The reason is that most clients in the standardized sample would score six or higher. A score of sixteen or more is an indication of a severe drug abuse or condition of dependency. Apart from DAST-20, a DAST-10 can be administrated if needed.
The DAST-10 can be used with older children and adults. It is used to give a short, self-report instrument catered to the screening of population, finding of clinical cases and evaluation research of treatment. The DAST-10 results in a quantitative index yield of the consequences degree in which the drug-related abuse has taken place. The test takes about five minutes and can be taken in the form of an interview or self-report. DAST-10 can be given in many settings to yield a quick drug abuse problem index. The test has ten items which are self-reported instruments. The accuracy of the exam has been proven.
The Drug Abuse Screening Test is one of many substance abuse use testing disorder instruments which can help to predict to what degree a person abuses drugs. According to Errol Yudko, Olga Lozhkina, and Adriana Fouts, “all versions of the DAST yield satisfactory measures of reliability and validity for use as clinical or research tools” (189). The test can be administrated to older children who can read at least at a six-grade level as well as adults. It is used to give an indication of drug abuse and to what degree the abuse is taking place. The DAST comes in two versions and can be provided in many different forms. The test can be administrated quickly in a variety of settings. The results are fast and easy. The outcome of the DAST helps to ensure the proper course of treatment is given to the patient.
References
Cocco, K. M., & Carey, K. B. (1998). Psychometric properties of the drug abuse screening test in psychiatric outpatients. Psychological Assessment, 10(4), 408-414. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.10.4.408
National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2016). A modified version of the Drug Abuse Screening Test among undergraduate students. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1752261/
Yudko, E., Lozhkina, O., & Fouts, A. (2007). A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment,32(2), 189-198. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2006.08.002
