Evaluation of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) in Criminal Justice and Detoxification Settings and in a Swedish Population Sample

Abstract

Psychometric properties of the 11-item self-report Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) were evaluated in a sample of heavy drug users from prison, probation, and inpatient detoxification settings, and in a general Swedish population sample. In the drug user sample, the DUDIT predicted drug dependence with a sensitivity of 90% for both DSM-4 and ICD-10 and a respective specificity of 78 and 88%. Reliability according to Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.80. In the population sample, 3.1% scored positive on the DUDIT; T-score values are suggested. The DUDIT screens effectively for drug-related problems in clinically selected groups and may prove useful in the context of public health surveys.