Addiction Severity Index Assists in Treating Substance Abuse Disorders

A more effective and personalised plan to assist patients suffering from substance abuse disorders can be designed by health professionals using the new version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI).

Developed by the University of Pennsylvania (USA) in the 1980s, the ASI is the most used tool for studying disorders due to substance abuse. After more than 25 years of use, current trends have led ASI creators to update their index and adapt it to the present day reality. The new ASI-6 includes significant structure and content changes in regard to the previous version.

Drug Abuse | Drug Addiction | Substance Abuse - Overview
The use of Drugs for reasons other than its prescribed recommendation, is known as Drug abuse or substance abuse. Drug abuse or substance abuse is initiated by various biological and social factors.

However, as Eva María Díaz-Mesa, a researcher at the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) and author of the study explained to SINC "any assessment test must involve mathematical procedures that determine whether or not it is a valid indicator of a particular psychological conduct."

This study examines the version of the method translated and adapted into Spanish. The study was carried out at 13 centres in Spain, where a total of 258 patients participated, and compiles four periodic assessments that determine the evolution of patients and the ability of the tool to detect changes.

The results, published recently in the journal Psicothema, reveal that the ASI-6 performed well in psychometric terms, that is, "when applied, the tool gives stable measurements (reliability) and actually measures what it intends to (validity)," Díaz Mesa continued. Furthermore, it is worth highlighting the inclusion of smoking and gambling in the assessment, together with caring for children.

Drug Abuse Screening Test
Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) is a screening test to find out if you need professional help with ‘Drug Abuse’ problem. This is only an anonymous self test.

The ASI is an interview designed to measure the state of a patient in regard to seven functional domains: alcohol and drug abuse, physical and mental health, employment/resources, family relationships and illegal activity. The scores obtained in the different areas provide information about the severity of the addiction (the higher the score the more severe).

Addiction to Legal and Illegal Substances

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Alcohol Use Disorder | Alcoholism
Alcohol use disorder or alcoholism is an inability to control drinking. It can cause short term and long term physical, as well as psychological effects on the patient.
Although there is widespread social belief that people who consume illegal substances suffer more negative effects, consumption-related health problems are actually primarily due to legal substances.

The World Health Organization (WHO) expected tobacco to explain 16.8% of mortality in Spain, alcohol 3% and illegal drugs 0.6%. However, in regard to the burden of disease, tobacco accounted for 12.3%, alcohol 7.6% and illegal drugs 3.9%.

Alcohol - Benefits and Harms
Alcohol consumption continues to play an important role in many social and religious celebrations.However,serious risks are also associated with it!

Source-Eurekalert