French validity of two substance‐use screening tests among adolescents: A comparison of the CRAFFT and DEP‐ADO

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the criterion validity of the CRAFFT and DEP‐ADO.

Method: One hundred and sixty‐three adolescents (80 from the general population and 83 regular substance users) completed the ADAD and the MINI questionnaires, as well as either the CRAFFT or the DEP‐ADO in roughly equal proportions, between March 2002 and August 2003. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

Results: Both questionnaires had high sensitivity but the DEP‐ADO showed a better specificity than CRAFFT. A score equal or higher than 8 on the scale of DEP‐ADO appeared to be an appropriate threshold for problems related to substance use. DEP‐ADO had a sensitivity of 92.0% and a specificity of 80.6% with severity rating scores of ADAD (alcohol and drug areas combined). With the MINI diagnoses, DEP‐ADO had a sensitivity of 95.1% and a specificity of 68.9%.

Conclusion: DEP‐ADO appears to have higher diagnostic utility for identifying substance use than CRAFFT in regard to sensitivity and specificity. However, the CRAFFT has the advantage of considering substance use over a lifetime period. Further studies should be targeting younger subjects and more diverse substance‐use patterns.

• Adolescence
• screening instrument
• substance use

Acknowledgments

We thank Mark Winnington, Giusi Daniele, Philippe Roduit and Valérie Rossier for their contributions.