title: Screening for Substance Use Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Examining the Validity of the AUDIT and the DAST.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST)--2 widely recommended rating scales--in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) population at 24 months following injury. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was used as the gold standard criterion.
  
  
  METHODS
  TBI rehabilitation program at Epworth Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 113 individuals, 87 males and 26 females, with complicated mild to severe TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study documenting substance use following TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  AUDIT, DAST, and Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In individuals with TBI, a cutoff score of 11 on the AUDIT may be the most appropriate indicator of an alcohol use disorder whereas a cutoff score of 6 on the DAST may be the most appropriate indicator of drug use disorder. Both screening measures demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy at 24 months following injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The optimal cutoff score for the AUDIT may need to be elevated for use following TBI. Nevertheless, both the AUDIT and the DAST are suitable measures for assessing substance use following TBI. Given the importance of uniformity in postinjury assessment, the AUDIT and the DAST may serve as future screening standards in TBI research.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia (Mr Bryce and Drs Spitz and Ponsford); and Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Victoria, Australia (Drs Spitz and Ponsford).
authors.forename: Shayden
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bryce
authors.forename: Gershon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: Jennie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ponsford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology