A critical review of adolescent problem gambling assessment instruments

The field of youth gambling assessment is in its infancy. Currently four youth problem gambling instruments have been used to identify adolescent problem gamblers: a) South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA); b) DSM-IV-Juvenile (DSM-IV-J) and the related DSM-IV-Multiple Response-Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J); c) Massachusetts Gambling Screen (MAGS) and d) Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory (CAGI). Three of the four instruments are adaptations of adult instruments, and none of the four have undergone rigorous psychometric evaluation. While these instruments are used with varying populations in divergent settings, the psychometric properties for their use in these populations and settings are unknown. This review provides information about the instruments and makes suggestions for further instrument development and refinement. Each instrument is described in terms of its development, content, intended purpose, psychometric properties, administration method, scoring instructions, and interpretation. Strengths and limitations of each instrument are compared for both research and clinical purposes. Existing instruments are used to make clinical, scientific, and public policy decisions, and therefore, it is critical that these instruments demonstrate evidence of reliability, validity and accuracy. It is recommended that the field adopt testing standards for the development and use of adolescent problem gambling scales, and generate a body of rigorous psychometric research that demonstrates reliability, validity, and classification accuracy. Ultimately, the goal is to improve measurement precision in identifying youth problem gamblers.