Related Experiment Videos
Alternative cut-point scores for the CAST-6
D C Hodgins1, E Maticka-Tyndale, N el-Guebaly
1University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Addictive Behaviors
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Alternative cut-point scores for the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test-6 (CAST-6) were evaluated. Optimal cut-points vary by population, with lower scores for medical students and higher scores for substance abuse patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Screening Tools
Background:
- The Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) is a widely used tool.
- A shortened version, the CAST-6, requires optimized cut-points for different populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine optimal alternative cut-point scores for the CAST-6 across diverse samples.
- To enhance the accuracy of the CAST-6 in identifying at-risk individuals.
Main Methods:
- The CAST-6 was administered to three distinct groups: outpatient substance abusers, outpatient psychiatric patients, and medical students.
- Hit rates were analyzed to identify the most effective cut-point scores for each sample.
Main Results:
- A lower cut-point score maximized identification rates in the medical student sample.
- A higher cut-point score was optimal for the outpatient substance abuse sample.
- Both cut-points yielded similar identification results in the outpatient psychiatric sample.
Conclusions:
- The optimal cut-point for the CAST-6 is population-dependent.
- Adjusting cut-points can improve the screening accuracy of the CAST-6 for children of alcoholics in various clinical and educational settings.