title: Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-J).
abstract: The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a frequently used clinical and research instrument that collects data from substance abusers in seven problem areas: medical, employment, alcohol, drug use, legal, family-social functioning, and psychiatric status. In each area, the ASI provides a composite score and severity rating that estimate the seriousness of the problem and the client's need for treatment. In the present study, we investigated the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the ASI (ASI-J). One hundred and eleven subjects with a history of drug abuse were interviewed with a test battery including the ASI with informed consent. This revealed that: (a) the problem areas were independent of each other, underscoring the need for multidimensional assessment, (b) the inter-rater correlation of severity ratings in each area ranged from 0.68 to 0.99, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the items used for the composite score in each area ranged from 0.57 to 0.86, indicating their reliability with the exception of the drug and employment areas, and (c) several composite scores were significantly correlated with the drug craving levels assessed by a visual analogue scale, the abstinence period, mental health, and/or relapse, supporting their concurrent and predictive validity. These results suggest that the ASI-J has acceptable reliability and validity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Psychiatry, Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, 2-1-8 Kamikitazawa Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Senoo
authors.forename: Yasukazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogai
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umeno
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikumoto
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tokutaro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.forename: Riki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Katsuro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aso
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asukai
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*