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ABSTRACT
An important SAMHSA initiative that started in 2003 is focusing on improving treatment for people with the co-occurring problems of mental illness and substance abuse. The 2002 national survey found over 23% of adults with a serious mental illness also abused alcohol or other drugs, and 20.4% of adults who abused alcohol or other drugs also had a serious mental illness. To provide more effective treatment for people with a co-occurring disorder, universal screening has been suggested.
Objective: The intent of this study was to develop an integrated screen that would help identify people with a possible co-occurring disorder who needed to be fully assessed for a concurrent mental health and substance abuse disorder.
Method: The screen consists of 17 common behavioral health questions used in the fields of mental health, addiction, domestic violence, and trauma. The screen was designed to be easy to use and easy to interpret. To pilot test the screen, it was administered to 234 people who called either a mental health or addiction treatment program. Statistical analysis of the screen subscales included Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of the items, calculating Cronbach's Alpha (a) coefficients, and a beginning examination of sensitivity and specificity.
Results: The data analysis suggests that the three subscales had acceptable internal consistency (MH α = .70, SA α = .89, DV α = .72).
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the AC-COD Screen although continuing to need further testing has the potential of being a tool that can identify people who have a likelihood of having a concurrent disorder and who should be fully assessed.