Comparison of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) in Predicting the Effectiveness of Drug Treatment Programs for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 34 - 41
• Main Authors: Coleman-Cowger, Victoria H., Ph.D, Dennis, Michael L., Ph.D, Funk, Rodney R., B.S, Godley, Susan H., Rh.D, Lennox, Richard D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-01-2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Alcoholism; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; ASI; Biological and medical sciences; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug treatment; Effectiveness; Female; Follow-Up Studies; GAIN; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods; Postpartum Period; Postpartum women; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - rehabilitation; Pregnant and postpartum women; Pregnant women; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Residential Treatment - methods; Severity; Severity of Illness Index; Substance abuse treatment; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Treatment; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Young Adult; Pregnant and postpartum women; Drug treatment; GAIN; ASI; Human; Evaluation; Drug addiction; Poison withdrawal; Prediction; Addiction Severity Index; Puerperium; Pregnancy; Need; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Efficiency; Individual; Adult; Female; Therapeutic schedule; Woman; Comparative study; Gain
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2012.02.002

Abstract This study conducts a within-subject comparison of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) to assess change in alcohol and other drug treatment outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women. Data are from 139 women who were pregnant or who had children under 11 months old and were admitted to residential drug treatment, then re-interviewed 6 months postdischarge (83% follow-up rate). The ASI and GAIN change measures were compared on their ability to detect changes in alcohol and drug use, medical and HIV risk issues, employment issues, legal problems, family and recovery environment characteristics, and psychological/emotional issues. The measures were similar in their ability to detect treatment outcomes, and ASI and GAIN change scores were moderately correlated with each other. The GAIN scales had equal or slightly higher coefficient alpha values than the ASI composite scores. The GAIN also includes an HIV risk scale, which is particularly important for pregnant and postpartum women. These results suggest that the GAIN is comparable with the ASI and can be used for treatment research with pregnant and postpartum women.