Validation of a Short Version of the Revised Drug Use Screening Inventory in a Brazilian Sample of Adolescents

The revised Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI-R) is a self-report questionnaire designed to quantify the severity of problems that are commonly associated with consumption of alcohol and other drugs. This study extends research conducted on the US population to determine whether the DUSI-R's substance abuse scale discriminates Brazilian youths in treatment (n = 41) from a general population sample (n = 43). A Portuguese translation of the substance abuse scale was administered in paper and pencil format at the time of intake into treatment and to randomly selected youths in school. The mean score on the 15-item substance abuse scale in the treatment group was 6.7 compared to 1.9 in the comparison group (t = 6.78; p < .001). The optimal cut-off score of two positive endorsements has 85% sensitivity and 70% specificity. This study demonstrates that the DUSI-R's substance abuse scale is valid for screening Brazilian youths who require treatment. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1-4).