The Addiction Severity Index is an important tool for mental health technicians that addresses the problem areas that lead to substance abuse. According to the Addiction Severity Index synopsis by the National Institutes of Health, the questionnaire takes between 50 minutes to an hour to complete. The questions of the Addiction Severity Index covers medical status, employment status, drug and alcohol use, legal status, family history, family and social relationships and psychiatric status.
Medical Status
A technician asks the patient about his medical history. Examples of medical status issues include hospitalization history, chronic medical problems, prescribed medication being taken for a condition, any physical disabilities and sexually transmitted diseases.
Employment Status
As part of the analysis done with the Addiction Severity Index, a technician asks the patient about her employment status. Questions on the Addiction Severity Index include the level of education completed, profession, current job, employment pattern and income for the past 30 days. The patient is also asked if she has a valid driver's license, an automobile and whether someone else contributes to her income.
Drug and Alcohol Use
Drug and alcohol use questions are an essential part of the Addiction Severity Index. A technician asks the patient about the type of substances used, the type of administration used, drugs used in the past 30 days, how many years a drug was used and if the patient ever went to detox or overdosed.
Legal Status
A technician also asks the patient if he was ever arrested or charged with a crime. In addition, the patient is asked if he has ever been on probation or parole.
Family History
In addition to the patient's history, the Addiction Severity Index also contains questions about alcohol, drug or psychiatric problems on the biological mother's side and biological father's side, as well as the patient's biological siblings.
Family and Social Relationships
The patient's family and social relationships play an important role in the Addiction Severity Index. A technician asks the patient about her marital status, current living arrangement and friendships. In addition, a technician asks if the patient lives with someone who has an alcohol or drug problem, and whether she has ever experienced any emotional, physical or sexual abuse.
Psychiatric Status
The last section of questions in the Addiction Severity Index is the patient's psychiatric status. Questions explore if the patient was treated for psychological or emotional problems. Specific psychological and emotional problems listed on the Addiction Severity Index include depression, anxiety, hallucination, concentration issues, violent behavior, suicide and eating disorders.
