Adolescent Substance User Screening Instruments

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that given the magnitude of the issue, it is essential that clinics, schools, juvenile detention centers and medical clinics have screening instruments at hand that quickly and accurately evaluate potential or present abuse or dependency conditions in the populations they serve. The paper defines the criteria that make a screening instrument for AAOD use valuable. The author lists the most up-to-date instruments available, gives a brief description of the applicability of each and reviews the critical literature that evaluates their respective reliability and validity.

Table of Contents
Introduction
The Adolescent Alcohol and Other Drug (AAOD) Problem: An Overview The History of AAOD
Consequences of AAOD
Constellation of Symptoms Making Up AAOD
Co-Occurring Psychiatric Illnesses
AAOD Etiology
AAOD Epidemiological Research
Screening for AAOD Use: Its Relevance to the Problem
Other Risk Factors in AAOD Use
Use of DSM Criteria in Identification of AAOD Use
Factors to be Considered in Self-Reported Data
Critical Review of Selected Instruments
Summary/Discussion
Appendix One: Chart

From the Paper:

"The majority of AAOD screening instruments rely on the subject to self-report the history and extent of his or her substance use, primarily for lack of any other method of attaining the information. Some instruments, particularly those that are designed primarily for younger children, also require the input of a parent or guardian; however, the degree of validity of the adult's perceptions has been widely regarded by clinicians as somewhat low. A study which tracked a cohort of young children for twenty-five years through to adulthood, measuring the relationship of alcohol use to school dropout incidence, found that the child's first-grade teacher typically had a clearer view of potential behavioral problems than did the parent."

More papers on Adolescent Substance User Screening Instruments:

• Research Paper # 52340 : "Substance Use Screening Instruments"
• Term Paper # 37118 : "Theories of Adolescent Substance Abuse."
• Research Proposal # 11223 : "Adventure Therapy and Adolescent Substance Abusers"

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