ASI Information

Addiction Severity Index- 5th edition (ASI)

Developed by Tom McLellan, Ph.D., in 1980 and updated in 1992, the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is an interview tool that assesses client substance use and abuse history at two time points (the last 30 days and over the lifetime). It is effective in detecting problematic use of both illicit substances and alcohol, as well as determining the effects substance abuse has on various areas of one’s life including social relationships, medical history, and employment.

Eight sections (205 items) address general demographics, medical status, employment/support status, alcohol and/or drug use and abuse, legal status, family history and social relationships, and psychiatric status. The medical status section aids the interviewer in gathering basic medical information, including current physical ailments, prior hospitalizations, and medications taken. The employment/support status section addresses issues such as work history, educational background, and ability to get to a job, once employed. It is expected that by the time the interviewer has reached the drug and alcohol use section, they have developed some sense of rapport with the client. The drug and alcohol use section assesses the clients’ substance use history (including alcohol and commonly prescribed medications) as well as periods of abstinence and their history of treatment. The questions in the legal status section probe for information on prior criminal charges and convictions. Information on probation and periods of parole is also acquired. Given that many clients report problems with friends and family as a result of their substance abuse, information regarding the client’s family and social relationships may also have some effect on their treatment outcomes. Questions from this section address a number of interpersonal concerns including problems with family members and satisfaction with current living arrangements. The final section addresses the clients’ psychiatric status, and although the ASI is not a diagnostic tool, it can be useful as a screening tool for various psychiatric problems. Reports of experiences or symptoms of anxiety, depression, hallucinations, and suicide are gathered at this time. At the conclusion of each section, clients are asked how important they think treatment for the previously discussed problems is and how interested they are in pursuing treatment. The response frameworks for the items are yes/no, multiple choice, and brief response (open-ended).

Since 1980, this tool has been widely used, having been translated into nine languages, including Spanish. The ASI is available in a full version, a “Lite” version, and an adolescent version. More recently, a couple of companies have manufactured software programs that not only allow for the coding of client responses directly into a computer system, but also provide a written report for the counselor or researcher that summarizes the clients’ responses.

Interviewers who administer the ASI must be trained. This is due to the length of the interview (approximately 45 – 60 minutes) and the need to correctly interpret the questions and code the responses. Training usually requires a 16-hour commitment, during which the trainee is introduced to the instrument, its contents are reviewed question by question, sections are role-played so that trainees have some practice with the instrument, and finally a multiple choice competency exam is administered. In many instances, the ASI computer software program is also introduced to the trainee. Training may be done in groups of up to 30, although larger groups have also been trained.

For more Information on the ASI, please visit these sites:

Treatment Research Institute (TRI) - www.tresearch.org

Drug Evaluation Network System (DENS) - www.densonline.org

Or for information on ASI training in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, visit the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center - http://www.psattc.org/.