RELIABILITY OF PAPER-PENCIL ASSESSMENT OF DRUG-USE SEVERITY

This research examines whether self-reported information about drug us e severity can be obtained as reliably using a paper/pencil format as the traditional interviewer format. A sample of 67 patients seeking tr eatment for substance use disorders was recruited from a Veterans Admi nistration Medical Center. Subjects self-reported information related to drug use severity using both paper/pencil and interview formats. Th e results of comparisons of the two approaches indicate that method of test administration does not affect the test-retest reliability for m ost questions tested. Test-retest reliability estimates for these rela tively brief indicators of drug use severity generally ranged from goo d to excellent. Although assessing drug use severity using a paper/pen cil format is certainly not appropriate for all individuals with subst ance use disorders, for many individuals and situations it may prove t o be a cost-effective alternative to the interview format. Further res earch is required to determine if parallel paper/pencil versions of wi dely used interviews can be developed.