title: The Psychometric Properties of the Simple Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse.
abstract: The Simple Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse (SSI-SA) is gaining widespread use as a self-report measure of substance abuse; yet, little information exists regarding the instrument's psychometric properties. This study examined the SSI's psychometric properties within a population of 6,664 adult Medicaid enrollees in Florida, who responded to a survey conducted as part of a statewide evaluation of Medicaid services. The SSI-SA had excellent internal consistency (.85). Evidence of the SSI's validity was strong; SSI-SA scores distinguished among individuals with and without substance abuse needs and were significantly correlated with a measure of functioning in daily living. Using the recommended SSI-SA cutoff score of 4 or higher to indicate the presence of a substance abuse problem, the SSI-SA had respectable sensitivity (.82) and specificity (.90).
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA boothroy@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Boothroyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Roger H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Family Studies, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Mary I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rynearson-Moody
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caudy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
keywords: Simple Screening Instrument; psychometric; reliability; screening; substance abuse; validity