Addictive behavior among young people in Ukraine: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Addiction research
• Adolescent psychology
• Public health

Background:

• The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a WHO-developed tool for alcohol addiction.
• Adolescent addiction presents complex challenges in assessment and evaluation.
• Understanding the commonalities across different addiction types is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a system of AUDIT-like tests for assessing addictive status in Ukrainian adolescents.
• To adapt the original AUDIT for evaluating a broader spectrum of chemical and non-chemical addictions.
• To provide a tool for the complex assessment and evaluation of addictive behaviors in a specific population.

Main Methods:

• Modification of the original Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
• Development of seventeen AUDIT-like tests.
• Focus on identifying similarities between stages of alcohol addiction and other dependencies (e.g., TV, computer games, internet).

Main Results:

• A comprehensive AUDIT-like tests system was created.
• The system includes seventeen distinct tests.
• These tests are designed to detect various types of chemical and non-chemical addictions.

Conclusions:

• The AUDIT-like tests system offers a novel approach to assessing adolescent addiction.
• The adapted methodology allows for the evaluation of diverse addictive behaviors.
• This tool is specifically tailored for the Ukrainian adolescent population.