Test-retest reliability of the lifetime items on the addiction severity index

Longer interval (M = 50.6, SD = 13.1 days) test-retest reliability of the l ifetime items on the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), a semistructured inter view, was evaluated in 108 alcohol and/or cocaine dependent patients. They were administered the ASI at admission to an intensive outpatient rehabilit ation treatment program and again after completion of this intervention and randomization into an aftercare study. Results demonstrated good to excell ent reliability for participants' reports for most lifetime items in the me dical, employment, drug, alcohol, and legal problem areas. Two of the ASI a reas, family/social and psychiatric, had numerous items that did not achiev e acceptable levels of reliability. Within these two problem areas, the mor e subjective and less operationally defined constructs had the poorest reli ability. This study, in general, supports the longer interval test-retest r eliability of the ASI lifetime items as well as the notion that alcohol and cocaine dependent patients under certain conditions can and do reliably re port personal information.