NCJ Number
161003
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (1995) Pages: 25-41
Date Published
1995
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Recently developed to detect chemical dependency, the utility of the adolescent form of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) was investigated using a sample of 107 adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age who were admitted to a residential chemical abuse treatment program in central Illinois.
Abstract
The sample consisted of 80 males and 27 females; 97 clients were white, 5 were black, 2 were Hispanic, and 3 indicated another ethnic group. Of the 107 adolescents, 42 were referred through the court system, 27 by social service agencies, 15 by guardians, 7 by psychiatric facilities, and 7 by chemical abuse treatment facilities. Results validated SASSI scales, supporting the instrument's utility. Specifically, the SASSI classified about 80 percent of the sample as chemically dependent. When the proportion of clients clinically judged to be in need of residential treatment was considered as the base rate, the SASSI's classification accuracy was significant. This suggested that clients who scored as chemically dependent on the SASSI were also judged to be in need of residential treatment. Gender, age, and educational level were generally not related to SASSI scale scores. Diagnostic and treatment implications of the study findings are discussed, and directions for further research are suggested. 42 references and 2 tables