Citation

Humeniuk R, Holmwood C, Beshara M, Kambala A. J. Child Adolesc. Subst. Abuse 2016; 25(4): 384-390.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/1067828X.2015.1049395

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

While the World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a useful screening and brief intervention tool for use with adults, the risk cut-offs are not appropriate for people under 18 years of age. Drawing on the literature available and expert clinical consultation and consensus, two distinct ASSIST-Youth (ASSIST-Y) questionnaires and Feedback Report cards with different score weightings were proposed, reflecting the dynamic nature of substance use-related risk in developing adolescents ages 10 to 14 years and ages 15 to 17 years old. Appropriate interventions also were recommended, with a strong emphasis on referral for assessment and management of broader psychosocial issues. This revised ASSIST for young people was developed with the intention that this "first-pass" set of cut-off scores and associated materials might form the basis for further psychometric validation of the youth ASSIST in the future, while still providing practitioners with a screening brief intervention option for using with young people in the interim.