Drug use

Name of the instrument

Drug Abuse Screening Test

Abbreviation

DAST

Number of items

10

Terms of use

Protected (in 1982 by Dr. Harvey A. Skinner). Authorization must be obtained from Dr. Skinner before the questionnaire is used ([email protected]). The cost of use of the questionnaire depends on the type of use and it is usually free of charge for non-profit studies.

Language

English, French and at least three other languages.

Data collection method

Self-report questionnaire, in hard copy, in person or by telephone.

Target population

Adolescents and adults.

Interpretation of the results and thresholds

• This instrument’s 10 items are ranked on a dichotomous scale. The maximum total score is 10.
• A threshold of 3 or 4 is recommended to screen a drug use problem. The threshold appears to come close to most criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). A score of 9 or more indicates a severe problem.

Is the questionnaire available in the toolkit?

No

Other versions

The 28-item first version is derived from the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). A shorter 20-item version was then created, followed by the 10-item version.

References

• Giguère, C.-É. and Potvin, S. (2017). The Drug Abuse Screening Test preserves its excellent psychometric properties in psychiatric patients evaluated in an emergency setting. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 165-170.
• Skinner, H. A. (1982). The drug abuse screening test. Addictive Behaviors, 7(4), 363-371.
• Villalobos-Gallegos, L., Pérez-López, A., Mendoza-Hassey, R., Graue-Moreno, J. and Marín-Navarrete, R. (2015). Psychometric and diagnostic properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST): Comparing the DAST-20 vs. the DAST-10. Salud mental, 38(2), 89-94.
• Yudko, E., Lozhkina, O. and Fouts, A. (2007). A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test. J Subst Abuse Treat, 32(2),189-198.