Assessing consequences of alcohol and drug abuse in a drinking driving population

Abstract

The experience of negative consequences of use is often considered to be a critical dimension of the addition process, however relatively few assessment instruments focus solely on this dimension. This is especially true in the convicted driving under the influence (DUI) population, where many have by definition experienced negative consequences of use. The Adverse Consequences of Substance Use Scale (ACSUS) is a brief (8 item), clinically-based instrument that measures the problems resulting from substance use. In the current investigation the psychometric characteristics of this scale was examined using data from a large sample of convicted drink-drivers (n = 5409) and it was then compared to two other scales (the Alcohol Dependence Scales and the Research Institute on Addictions Self-inventory). Cronbach's alpha for the ACSUS was 0.726 and inter-item and item-total correlations were within the acceptable range. Factor analysis revealed a one factor solution accounting for 37% of the variance. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by good correlation with the RIASI (r = 0.416) and the ADS (r = 0.510), as well as several other substance use quantity and frequency measures. The ACSUS was also found to discriminate significantly between clinically distinct populations such as first and multiple offenders and binge drinkers. When compared to the RIASI and ADS using Fisher's z-transformation, the ACSUS had significantly higher correlations with measures of substance use treatment seeking and legal involvement. The utility and applicability of this measure is discussed.