The Development of the Substance Use Disorder Screening Test (SUDST) according to the DSM-5

ObjectivesA screening tool for substance use disorders is most needed for patient care and referral. The study aims to develop the Substance Use Disorder Screening Test (SUDST) to classify the severity of substance use disorders based on the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). MethodsEleven items of the SUDST, developed based on the DSM-5, were tested on 207 participants who were receiving treatment for methamphetamine use. Participants were interviewed with the SUDST, the screening test of the Ministry of Public Health Version 2 (V.2), the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory (M.I.N.I) and were clinically diagnosed by attending psychiatrists. ResultsCronbachs alpha coefficient was 0.79. The SUDST was highly significantly associated with the M.I.N.I., V.2, and the clinical diagnosis (p < 0.001). Factor analysis showed three components: 1) preoccupation and loss of control 2) risky/harmful use and 3) impact to bio-psychosocial aspects. Of the total score of 11, the cut-off points to identify severe, moderate, and mild levels of risk were [&ge;]7, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively with sensitivity = 72.7%-96.5% and specificity = 61.9%-88.7%. ConclusionsThe SUDST had high reliability and validity that could be used for screening risk for substance use disorders.