Assessments
The Center uses a core battery of assessments across its component projects. The core battery facilitates coordinated data analysis and sharing across Center projects and facilitates cross-study analyses. Each component project also will include additional assessment measures for the unique needs of each study. The core battery of assessments includes:
Psychotherapy Development Center Screening Form – This form gathers participant demographic data, substance use history, previous substance use and psychiatric treatment history, medical history, and recent life events.
Addiction Severity Index (ASI) – The ASI is the most widely used instrument for the assessment of substance use and related problems at monthly intervals. See McLellan, A. T., Kushner, H., Metzger, D., et al. (1992). The fifth edition of the Addiction Severity Index. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 9, 199-213.
Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) – The SCID-IV is used to diagnose substance abuse and Axis I and II disorders in study samples. See First, M. B., Spitzer. R.L., Gibbon, M., and Williams, J. B. W. (1995). Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders. Patient edition. New York: Biometrics Research Department.
Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) – The BSI is a widely used self-report inventory of psychiatric symptom distress. See Derogatis, L. R., and Spencer, P. M. (1982). The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) Administration, Scoring and Procedure Manual-I. USA: Clinical Psychometric Research.
HIV Risk Behavior Scale – This scale assesses HIV risk behaviors and changes in these behaviors during treatment. See Darke, S., Hall W., Heather, N., et al. (1991). The reliability and validity of a scale to measure HIV risk-taking behavior among intravenous drug users. AIDS, 5, 181-185.
Substance Use Calendar - This calendar documents self-reported substance use (cocaine, alcohol, opioids, marijuana, and other illicit drugs) on a daily basis. It is similar to the Form-90 and the Time Line Follow-Back which have been shown to be reliable and valid instruments for monitoring substance use. See Miller W. R., and DelBoca, F. K. (1994). Measurement of drinking behavior using the Form 90 family of instruments. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 12, 112-7 and Sobell, L. C., and Sobell, M. B. (1992). Timeline Followback: A technique for assessing self-reported alcohol consumption. In: Allen J. (Ed.) Psychosocial and Biological Methods (pp. 41-72). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.
Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) – The WAI assesses the participants’ experience of therapeutic alliance (i.e., patient-therapist agreement on therapeutic tasks and goals and degree of bond). See Horvath, A. O., and Greenberg, L. (1986). The development of the Working Alliance Inventory. In: Greenberg, L. S., & Pinsof, W.M. (Eds.) The Psychotherapeutic Process: A Research Handbook (pp. 529-56). New York: Guilford Press.
Yale Adherence and Competence System – Second Edition (YACS-II) – The YACS-II assesses therapists’ fidelity to treatment according to the frequency or extent to which therapists delivered the targeted treatments (adherence) and the skill or quality in they implemented specific strategies (competence). See Carroll, K.M., Nich, C., Sifry, R., et al. (2000). A general system for evaluating therapist adherence and competence in psychotherapy research in the addictions. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 57, 225-38.
Program and Client Cost-Substance Abuse Treatment (PACC-SAT) – The PACC-SAT evaluates costs involved in the implementation of substance abuse treatments. See Jofre-Bonet, M., & Sindelar, J. L. (2004). Creating an aggregate outcome index: Cost-effectiveness analysis of substance abuse treatment. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 31, 229-41.
Drug Risk Response Test (DRRT) – This assessment gathers information on the client’s anticipated response to several real life situations. These situations evoke a client’s plan to handle high risk situations as well as coping with craving and problem solving. Clients listen to an audiotape of each situation and their response is recorded on a separate tape. A trained technician codes each response into standardized, validated variables. The training videotape and manual on how to administer and code the assessment is available through the PDC.
Ordering
A variety of assessment tools are available for order. Each of these items is briefly described below. If you would like to purchase any of them, please follow the directions on the order form.
Yale Adherence and Competence System – Second Edition (YACS-II) (manual and video tape); compiled and edited by K. F. Nuro and colleagues, 2005. The YACS-II assesses therapists’ fidelity to treatment according to the frequency or extent to which therapists delivered the targeted treatments (adherence) and the skill or quality in they implemented specific strategies (competence). It includes fidelity rating items and guidelines in the following areas: assessment, general support, clinical management, 12-step facilitation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, and a variety of supplemental areas.
Drug Risk Response Test (DRRT); developed by T. Babuscio and K. M. Carroll, 2007. This assessment gathers information on the client’s anticipated response to several real life situations. These situations evoke a client’s plan to handle high risk situations as well as coping with craving and problem solving. Clients listen to an audiotape of each situation and their response is recorded on a separate tape. A trained technician codes each response into standardized, validated variables. The training videotape and manual on how to administer and code the assessment is available through the PDC.
