Zeitschrift für Suchtforschung und -therapie

Abstrakt

Validity of the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment with Substance Abuse Populations

Robert Sky Allen and Bradley D Olson

Objective: The purpose of this study was to introduce a relatively new assessment tool, and to evaluate its validity as a clinical instrument of measurement and placement. The study examined the validity of the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA) as a standardized screening device in the treatment of substance use disorders. The authors analyzed the ANSA scores of 191 participants who were assigned to an episode of substance abuse treatment, focusing on the Level of Need algorithmic calculation of the ANSA, as well as three specific ANSA domains, including Substance Use Disorder, Criminal Behavior, and Community Connection. ANSA clinical scores were compared to scores from a self-report substance abuse survey.

Methods: It is important for therapists to know that the instruments of measurement they employ are documenting their clients’ perspective accurately. Therefore, analyses examined whether clinical assessments were capturing participants’ self-reported changes in substance-related outcomes. When a pilot study for this research revealed a positive correlation between the ANSA comprehensive clinical assessment and a brief substance abuse survey, the authors expanded the study to ascertain if other domains of the ANSA were correlated with the survey.

Results: Relationships were found between change scores on the ANSA and change scores on the survey selfreport, with the exception of the Community Connection domain which yielded no measurable relationship. As the study was intended to be a preliminary investigation of the ANSA, recommendations for further exploration of the ANSA’s algorithmic properties, as well as further research into other domains of the ANSA, were included.

Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests that the ANSA is a valid tool of measurement, and that it does reflect the client’s perspective accurately, thus strengthening confidence in its use as a standardized screening instrument.