title: Psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Short Inventory of Problems.
abstract: Hispanic Americans are substantially underrepresented in clinical and research samples for substance use treatment, with language cited as one of the major barriers to their participation, indicating a need for more validated assessments in Spanish. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP), used in a multisite, randomized trial conducted for Spanish-speaking substance users. The sample included 405 Spanish-speaking treatment seekers, mostly male (88%) and legally mandated to treatment (71%). The Spanish version of the revised SIP (SIP-RS), as well as other commonly used assessment measures translated into Spanish, were administered at baseline and at the end of treatment. Internal consistency was excellent (α = .96), and construct validity was supported through correlations with composite scores from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) (e.g., r = .57, p < .01 for ASI drug composite), and through differential SIP-RS scores according to diagnostic criteria. The SIP-RS also demonstrated an association with substance use and treatment retention, with higher baseline scores associated with significantly less abstinence during treatment (β = -.22, p < .01) and fewer days retained in treatment (β = -.14, p < .05). However, the latter association was moderated by participants' legal status. Nevertheless, this Spanish-translated version of the SIP (SIP-RS) appears to be a reliable and valid assessment of adverse consequences associated with alcohol and drug use, with psychometric properties comparable with the English version.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Kiluk
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dreifuss
authors.forename: Roger D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Viviana E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Horigian
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Carroll
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult