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 printable version
The ASSIST project - Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test
There is substantial evidence for the benefits of screening and brief intervention in primary health care for alcohol problems. However, there is a need for screening and brief interventions with cross-cultural relevance for substances other than alcohol or tobacco, such as cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine and opiates.
The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was developed for the World Health Organization (WHO) by an international group of substance abuse researchers to detect and manage substance use and related problems in primary and general medical care settings. Primary health care professionals are well-positioned to provide interventions targeted to all substances irrespective of their legal status.
Project phases
Phase I (1997-1999)
Planning and ASSIST development
International feasibility and reliability study of the ASSIST
Phase II (2000-2002)
International validity study of the ASSIST
Feasibility study of brief interventions linked to the ASSIST
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Validation of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and Pilot Brief Intervention: A Technical Report of Phase II Findings of the WHO ASSIST Project [pdf 1.34Mb]
Phase III (2002-2007)
International study of effectiveness of a brief intervention linked to the ASSIST (randomized controlled trial)
The WHO ASSIST Phase III project consisted of a randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention with persons who screen positive for moderate risk for cannabis, opiate, cocaine, or amphetamine-type stimulant use on the ASSIST. The model for this project was that used by WHO to advance alcohol screening and brief intervention through the development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
The project had the following broad aims:
- To undertake an international multi-site collaborative project to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief intervention for illicit drugs (cannabis, opiates, cocaine and amphetamine-type stimulants) as linked to the ASSIST in a variety of primary health care settings and in a number of different cultural contexts;
- To develop a manual of patient and clinician resources incorporating instructions for administering the ASSIST and Brief Intervention, self-help materials on specific drug information and generic self-help strategies to reduce drug use, information on injecting risk and a feedback card on current drug use.
The participating sites were in Australia (Adelaide), Brazil (São Paulo, Curitiba), India (New Delhi), and the United States of America (California, Connecticut). The coordinating centre is the Drug and Alcohol Services Council in Australia.
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The Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention for Illicit Drugs Linked to the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in Primary Health Care Settings: A Technical Report of Phase III Findings of the WHO ASSIST Randomized Controlled Trial [pdf 1.04Mb]
ASSIST Questionnaire
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (English) [pdf 86kb]
This link also includes the Response card for patients, the Feedback report card for patients, the Risks of injecting card - information for patients, and information regarding Translation and adaptation to local languages and culture.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (Chinese) [pdf 213kb]
The translation of the ASSIST into Chinese was done by Min Zhao from Shanghai Drug Abuse Treatment Center at Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shool of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (French) [pdf 117kb]
This link also includes the Response card for patients.
The translation of the ASSIST into French was done by Daniele Zullino and Riaz Khan from the Service d'abus de substances, DP-HUG, Geneva, Barbara Broers from the Département de Médecine Communautaire HUG, Geneva, and Jacques Besson and Ansgar Rougemont-Bücking from the Service de psychiatrie communautaire DP-CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (German) [pdf 135kb]
This link also includes the Response card for patients, the Feedback report card for patients, and the Risks of injecting card - information for patients.
The translation of the ASSIST into German was done by Marcel Daamen and Christian G. Schütz from the Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn and Corina van Niekerk from the Max-Planck Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (Hindi) [pdf 2.55Mb]
The translation of the ASSIST into Hindi was done by Hem Raj Pal from the Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (Portuguese) [pdf 62kb]
The translation of the ASSIST into Portuguese was done by Maria Lucia Formigoni from the Psychobiology Department, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo and Roseli Boerngen de Lacerda, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.
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ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 (Spanish) [pdf 266kb]
This link also includes the Response card for patients, the Feedback report card for patients, and the Risks of injecting card - information for patients.
The translation of the ASSIST into Spanish was done by Jose Martinez-Raga from the Instituto sobre Drogas y Conductas Adictivas, Departamento de Fisiologia, Farmacologia y Toxicología, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain.
Documents
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ASSIST: Guidelines for Use in Primary Care [pdf 244kb]
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Brief Intervention for Substance Use: A Manual for Use in Primary Care [pdf 164kb]
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Self-Help Strategies for Cutting Down or Stopping Substance Use: A Guide [pdf 424kb]
The three manuals above are currently available in unpublished draft form only for use in field testing. They may be used for clinical and/or research purposes only and should be referenced accordingly. Changes to these documents may occur prior to the formal publication by WHO, which is anticipated for 2006. We welcome suggestions and comments on the above draft documents.
Published readings
WHO ASSIST Working Group (2002). The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST): development, reliability and feasibility. Addiction, 97 (9): 1183-1194.
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