Consistency of self-administered and interview-based Addiction Severity Index composite scores.

Abstract

This study assesses the viability of a self-administered version of the Addiction Severity Index for monitoring substance abuse patients' functioning. Patients completed the ASI interview and a self-administered questionnaire containing ASI composite items an average of 4 days apart. Composite scores from both formats were compared using correlations and mean differences. Participants were 316 veterans entering substance abuse treatment in a US Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Composite scores for alcohol, drug, psychiatric, family, legal and employment problems correlated 0.59-0.87 across formats. Patients endorsed more drug use and psychiatric symptoms by questionnaire than by interview. Medical composite scores correlated only 0.47 across formats. This study and previous research suggest that a self-administered questionnaire can be a feasible alternative to ASI interviews for monitoring substance abuse patients' treatment outcomes.