Validity of the Drug Use Screening Inventory for Predicting DSM-III-R Substance Use Disorder

Abstract

SUMMARY The Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) has been shown to have sound psychometric properties for quantifying the severity of health, behavior and psychosocial problems concomitant to substance use in adolescents. Its utility for identifying youth who will develop a disorder of abuse/dependence has, however, not been investigated. In this longitudinal study, the DUSI was administered to a sample of boys at ages 12–14, 16 and 19 in a repeated measures design. An overall problems severity score of 24% at ages 12–14 and 16 predicted a DSM-III-R substance use disorder (SUD) outcome at age 19 with 73% and 84% accuracy respectively. Parental history of SUD did not increase prediction of SUD outcome in the youth. These findings indicate that the DUSI, taking only 15–20 minutes to complete, is a useful practical instrument to identify youth who could benefit most from prevention interventions.