ERIC Number: EJ1457731
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-1756
EISSN: EISSN-1947-6302
Psychometric Synthesis of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) Versions
Erin Johnson; Samantha Barstack; Yikai Xu; Hannah Wise; Bradley T. Erford; Catharina Chang; David Delmonico
Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, v58 n1 p83-96 2025
Problem Statement: Among individuals aged 12 years or older, 14.3% (40.0 million) reporting the use of an illicit drug in the previous year. Given the prevalence of drug abuse, it is increasingly important to determine effective screening practices, treatment procedures, and best practices among various subpopulations to identify drug use-related consequences. The DAST is one of the most commonly used and accurate drug screening tests. Method: This psychometric synthesis of four versions of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10, DAST-20, DAST-28, DAST-A) provided aggregated evidence from 346 articles over 40 years of published literature for score reliability, structure, diagnostic, and convergent validity, and descriptive statistics, all with the goal of informing counseling and medical practice and research. Results: Results indicated adequate internal consistency ([alpha] = 0.81-0.84 across all four versions) and mostly medium to large effect size convergent correlations with comparison measures. Aggregated diagnostic validity data indicate optimal cutoff scores of 7 for DAST-10, 8 for DAST-20, 10 for DAST-28, and 6 for DAST-A. Discussion: The DAST-10 appears the best choice for practical and psychometric reasons. Additional studies of the various DAST versions are needed to expand use across participant demographics. Public Statement of Relevance: Drug use continues to be a societal problem and mental health practitioners need effective screening practices, treatment procedures, and best practices among various subpopulations to identify drug use-related consequences. This study synthesized 40 years of research on the four versions of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10, DAST-20, DAST-28, DAST-A) and found acceptable levels of score reliability and validity for screening purposes.
Descriptors: Drug Abuse, Screening Tests, Psychometrics, Synthesis, Test Validity, Test Reliability, Cutting Scores, Effect Size, Counseling
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A