DAST-10: Drug Abuse Screening Test

What this assessment is

DAST-10 is a past-year drug-problem screen with a total from 0 to 10. SAMHSA says a score of 3 or higher warrants considering further assessment for a possible substance use disorder. The result is not a diagnosis, a current danger assessment, or a measure of alcohol-related risk.

The 10-item form shortens Harvey Skinner's original 28-item Drug Abuse Screening Test, and the NIH Common Data Elements record identifies its intended screening use, population, administration options, and approximate five-minute completion time.

Who it was designed for

The NIH record describes use with adults and older youth. DAST-10 can support screening in healthcare, treatment, community, and research settings, but results should be interpreted with evidence for the population and setting in which it was used.

A screening service also needs a defined follow-up process. A positive total cannot establish which substance is involved, whether diagnostic criteria are met, or what response is appropriate.

How it is administered

The standard form covers the past 12 months and can be self-completed or given as an interview. Use all 10 yes-or-no responses and the standard timeframe.

The SAMHSA form asks respondents to answer every item but does not provide a replacement or prorating rule for missing responses. A standard total needs all 10 responses. Do not silently count a blank as a negative response.

What it measures

DAST-10 covers warning signs and consequences associated with drug use. The total does not identify the substance, amount, route, frequency, or timing of use.

It excludes alcohol. CAGE-AID combines lifetime alcohol- and drug-related warning signs in a four-item screen. DUDIT uses a different 11-response structure and mixed recall periods.

How scoring works

Each response scores 0 or 1. One response is keyed in the opposite direction from the others. Add the 10 scored values for a total from 0 to 10.

No weighting is used. Follow the official key because counting every yes response as 1 would score the reverse-keyed response incorrectly.

How to interpret a DAST-10 score

SAMHSA publishes these screening ranges:

SAMHSA TIP 42 says a total of 3 or higher warrants considering further assessment for a possible substance use disorder. Three is a follow-up point, not a diagnosis. The range labels also cannot determine immediate medical danger.

A score of 0 means that the completed form recorded no scored problems. It does not prove that drug use is absent or safe.

What the score cannot tell you

DAST-10 cannot identify a specific substance use disorder, determine severity under current diagnostic criteria, or select treatment. The same total can also come from different response patterns and different levels of current risk.

It cannot assess whether intoxication, overdose, or withdrawal needs urgent care. Urgency requires direct assessment. If a person is unresponsive or has abnormal breathing after suspected drug use, seek emergency help rather than waiting for a screening result. The CDC overdose guidance gives immediate response steps for a suspected overdose.

Evidence and limitations

The original 1982 study concerned the 28-item DAST in a help-seeking clinical sample, not every later use of DAST-10. A 2007 review of DAST measures found generally satisfactory reliability and validity while also documenting differences across versions, populations, and cutoff purposes.

Interpret the 10-item result with the individual responses, current substance use, health and safety information, and a planned follow-up assessment.