Wolff, N., & Shi, J. (2015). Screening for substance use disorder among incarcerated men with the Alcohol, Smoking, Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST): A comparative analysis of computer-administered and interviewer-administered modalities. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Advance online publication.
Rates of substance use disorders are high among incarcerated individuals. In this study, the authors compared the computer-administered and interviewer-administered versions of the ASSIST with incarcerated men (n=396) living in states prisons. Results showed that the incarcerated men were equally comfortable with the interviewer and computer-administered versions of the ASSIST, and reported equivalent rates of substance use on both modalities. Both versions had good psychometric properties and were able to accurately diagnose substance use disorders. Overall, this study supports the psychometric properties of the computer-administered ASSIST as a screener for substance use disorders.