DATA SHOW THAT ADOLESCENT USE AND ABUSE OF ALCOHOL IS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEM.

DATA SHOW THAT ADOLESCENT USE AND ABUSE OF ALCOHOL IS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEM. A RELATED PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF A VALID INSTRUMENT FOR SCREENING ADOLESCENTS WHOSE ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS ARE OF RECENT ORIGIN. THIS PROJECT HAS DEVELOPED INSTRUMENTS TO SCREEN DRINKING PROBLEMS AMONG ADOLESCENTS. BASED ON INPUT FROM AN EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL, NIAAA, AND RESEARCH LITERATURE, THE FOLLOWING TASKS WERE CONDUCTED IN SOMEWHAT SEQUENTIAL ORDER: 1. EXISTING EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES WERE REVIEWED AND ANALYZED; 2. FACTORS HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH ADOLESCENT PROBLEM DRINKING WERE IDENTIFIED; 3. MINIMUM RESEARCH CRITERIA WERE ESTABLISHED; 4. EXISTING INSTRUMENTS WERE EXAMINED TO IDENTIFY RELIABLE, 5. GAPS WERE DETERMINED AND NEW ITEMS CONSTRUCTED; 6. 7. THE USEFULNESS OF A PHASE II EFFORT WAS ASSESSED. METHODS USED INCLUDED CONSENSUS OF EXPERTS, SYSTEMATIC ANALYSES OF EXISTING INSTRUMENTS TO DETERMINE UTILITY, VALIDITY, RELIABILITY, ETC., AND SYSTEMATIC PRETESTING FOR CLARITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND INTERNAL CONSISTENCY. INSTRUMENTS ARE IN FINAL FORM FOR FORMAL PILOT TESTING IN A PHASE II EFFORT.