10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco. ≈ 3 min to complete. Free with attribution.
DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test-10) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco.. It is most often used for 10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco.. The instrument contains 10 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 3 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco. DAST-10 is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, DAST-10 is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 10 items below to see your DAST-10 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 2-point scale (0–1). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Score 1 point per yes answer. Total range 0-10. Score >= 6 suggests drug abuse/dependence.
Scoring notes: Score 1 point per yes answer. Total range 0-10. Score >= 6 suggests drug abuse/dependence.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | No problem | None |
| 3–5 | Moderate problem | Brief intervention |
| 6–10 | Severe problem | Referral for treatment |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Have you used drugs other than those required for medical reasons? | No | 0 |
| 2 | Do you use more than one drug at a time? | No | 0 |
| 3 | Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to? | Yes | 0 |
| 4 | Have you had blackouts or flashbacks as a result of drug use? | Yes | 1 |
| 5 | Do you ever feel bad or guilty about your drug use? | Yes | 1 |
| 6 | Does your spouse (or parent) ever complain about your involvement with drugs? | No | 0 |
| 7 | Have you neglected your family because of your use of drugs? | Yes | 1 |
| 8 | Have you engaged in illegal activities in order to obtain drugs? | No | 0 |
| 9 | Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms when you stopped taking drugs? | Yes | 1 |
| 10 | Have you had medical problems as a result of your drug use? | No | 0 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
0 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 = 4
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 4 falls between 3 and 5 → Moderate problem
Moderate problem. Brief intervention
A score is one input alongside history and examination. DAST-10 supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If DAST-10 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in addiction include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| AUDIT-C | 3-item brief version of AUDIT for quick alcohol screening in clinical settings. | 3 | ≈ 1 min |
| CAGE | Classic 4-item screening test for alcohol problems. | 4 | ≈ 1 min |
| FTND | 6-item measure of nicotine dependence severity for smoking cessation planning. | 6 | ≈ 2 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test-10) is a validated instrument that assesses 10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco.. Its primary clinical use is 10-item brief screener for drug use problems excluding alcohol and tobacco..
DAST-10 typically takes ≈ 3 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
DAST-10 contains 10 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 6–10 fall in the "Severe problem" band. Referral for treatment
Scores of 0–2 fall in the "No problem" band. None
DAST-10 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.92 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.85. Widely used in primary care and addiction treatment settings.
DAST-10 is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Skinner, H. A. (1982). The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Addictive Behaviors, 7(4), 363-371.
No. DAST-10 is a structured assessment aid. A score is one input alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
DAST-10 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: