Self-Report Inventories

The purpose of psychological assessment is to provide helpful information to the clinician with regard to diagnosing substance-related disorders and issues relevant to intervention. Substance abuse assessment includes various techniques, such as clinical interviewing, medical testing (e.g., toxicology screens), collateral information gathered from family members, and psychological testing. Psychological testing can include wide-band measures such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) that require substantial time and effort to complete, score, and interpret, as well as self-report inventories used for screening purposes. As the name implies, self-report inventories are completed by the client and generally ask for information on alcohol and other drug use, as well as information related to substance abuse (e.g., consequences).

This entry provides a framework for understanding self-report inventories, their purpose, and ...