NCJ Number
193320
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2001 Pages: 58-70
Date Published
2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the validity and utility of two versions of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI, SASSI-2; Miller, 1988, 1996) in determining alcohol-related risks among law-enforcement applicants.
Abstract
The study conducted a two-phased investigation, with both phases addressing the common question, "To what extent does the SASSI succeed in correctly classifying alcohol use and abuse patterns in a cohort of law-enforcement applicants?" A total of 370 applicants were assessed in two separate studies to determine the degree to which SASSI classification corresponded with self-reported number of drinks per month, admissions to having recently driven while intoxicated, and admissions to having ever been worried about one's drinking behavior. Analyses sought to demonstrate the concurrent validity of the SASSI through correlational analysis, chi square analysis, and cross tabulations. The study showed that the SASSI failed to identify any of the men in the sample who stated in their interviews that they had concurrently abused alcohol, either by high levels of intake or by driving while intoxicated, or both. Among the women, the SASSI would have missed more than 80 percent whose interview suggested they had concurrently abused alcohol. Apparently, a careful history-taking may provide an intake interviewer with as much valid and useful information about alcohol and drug use as would come from the SASSI scales. 1 table, 3 figures, and 33 references