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Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Use Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST)
Availability
The instrument is freely available here: Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Use Involvement Screening Test
Classification
NeuroRehab Supplemental - Highly Recommended
Recommendations for Use: Indicated for studies requiring a measure of psychiatric/psychological status
 
Supplemental: Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) Persistent/Chronic (3 months and greater post concussion) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
 
Exploratory: Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) Subacute (after 72 hours to 3 months)
Short Description of Instrument
The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Use Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) consists of eight questions that query use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, inhalants, sedatives, hallucinogens, opioids and other drugs. For most participants, the measure can be completed within 10 minutes.
Scoring and Psychometric Properties
Scoring:
The following scores can be derived: Lifetime Substance Use (with alcohol and tobacco max score=10, without alcohol and tobacco max score=8); Global Continuum of Substance Risk (with alcohol and tobacco max=208, without alcohol/tobacco max=170); Specific Substance Involvement Score (tobacco max score=16; all others max=20); Current Frequency of Substance Use (including alcohol, excluding tobacco and unclassified drugs max score=32, frequency of illicit drug use, excluding alcohol, tobacco and unclassified drugs max score=28, frequency of each individual drug max score=4); Dependence (all substances max score =130, illicit drugs only max=104); and Abuse (all substances max=146; illicit drugs only max=120).
 
Psychometric Properties:
The ASSIST provides a structured methodology for evaluating the level of risky use of the full range of substances. It has been validated in health care settings across the world, and translated into multiple languages. The ASSIST has been shown to be sensitive to change associated with a brief intervention. The ASSIST risk scores are linked to feedback that may be given to the client and to recommendations regarding level of intervention.
 
Sport-Related Concussion-Specific:
Advantages: Useful for substances other than alcohol. Issues of denial, legal ramifications in certain populations. Highly recommended for studies of outcome/prognosis/recovery trajectory. Assesses impact, not simply exposure. It may be more than needed as a screen.
Scoring
The following scores can be derived: Lifetime Substance Use (with alcohol and tobacco max score=10, without alcohol and tobacco max score=8); Global Continuum of Substance Risk (with alcohol and tobacco max=208, without alcohol/tobacco max=170); Specific Substance Involvement Score (tobacco max score=16; all others max=20); Current Frequency of Substance Use (including alcohol, excluding tobacco and unclassified drugs max score=32, frequency of illicit drug use, excluding alcohol, tobacco and unclassified drugs max score=28, frequency of each individual drug max score=4); Dependence (all substances max score =130, illicit drugs only max=104); and Abuse (all substances max=146; illicit drugs only max=120).
Psychometric Properties
Psychometric Properties:
The ASSIST provides a structured methodology for evaluating the level of risky use of the full range of substances. It has been validated in health care settings across the world, and translated into multiple languages. The ASSIST has been shown to be sensitive to change associated with a brief intervention. The ASSIST risk scores are linked to feedback that may be given to the client and to recommendations regarding level of intervention.
 
Sport-Related Concussion-Specific:
Advantages: Useful for substances other than alcohol. Issues of denial, legal ramifications in certain populations. Highly recommended for studies of outcome/prognosis/recovery trajectory. Assesses impact, not simply exposure. It may be more than needed as a screen.
References
WHO ASSIST Working Group. The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST): development, reliability and feasibility. Addiction. 2002;97(9):1183-1194.
 
Document last updated January 2022