Skip to content

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)

Understand and manage perceived patient stress with this self-report questionnaire

 

Get Sample Report  Get a Demo

DAST-10-Hero

Benefits for Healthcare Providers

The DAST-10 screening tool in Creyos provides valuable information to help identify drug abuse problems as early as possible.


One Platform

One Platform, One View

Healthcare providers can administer the DAST-10 questionnaire alongside cognitive tasks and get real-time results—all in one platform.

Access to Care

Increased Access to Care

Patients can complete the DAST-10 screening tool in person or at home, improving access to assessment and treatment.

Track Over Time

Track Patient Health 

Providers can benchmark and continuously evaluate drug abuse behaviors with a centralized patient health record that includes longitudinal data.

Nearly 1 in 5 People Have Abused Drugs in the Past Year

Understanding drug abuse is the key to effective treatment. Discover how digitized assessments in Creyos Health can help facilitate these critical conversations.

Review our guide below for a complete list of standardized questionnaires available in Creyos.

Get the Guide  Get a Demo

Drug abuse stats

Preview the DAST-10 Sample Report

The DAST-10 offered through Creyos is a 10-question self-report questionnaire designed to screen for drug abuse. When administered alongside measures of cognitive performance, it allows clinicians to:

  • Efficiently measure and track drug use and abuse
  • Give patients the option to complete it in person or remotely
  • Reduce administrative burden with automated scoring and results

Get Sample Report  Get a Demo

DAST10 Report

How to Use the DAST-10 Questionnaire

Step 1: Explain the Questionnaire

Since the DAST-10 screening tool asks directly about drug abuse, which may cause embarrassment for some patients, every effort should be made to make sure the patient is comfortable providing accurate information in a healthcare context.

Step 2: Administer Questionnaire

The DAST-10 questionnaire contains 10 questions and only takes 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered in person through the Creyos Health platform on an in-clinic device or remotely through a provided link.

Step 3: Review Results

Creyos Health automatically scores DAST-10 results and provides reports. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of drug abuse issues.

Step 4: Assess Cognitive Health

Healthcare providers can discuss results with patients and combine with other assessments and cognitive tasks to build a complete picture of patient health.

How to use DAST-10

Assessing Drug Use and Addiction Can Save Lives

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, substance abuse and mental health disorders go hand in hand, with the presence of one contributing to the development or exacerbation of the other. Their combined presence is more likely to result in negative outcomes, including functional impairment, less successful treatment outcomes, higher morbidity and mortality, higher treatment costs, and increased risk for homelessness, incarceration, and suicide.

Administering questionnaires like the DAST-10 through Creyos can help provide a deeper understanding of the effects of drug abuse on the brain and support the development of recovery strategies. Find out how.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2024

Simplify Patient Health Assessments with Creyos Health

Administer the Drug Abuse Screening Test, digitized behavioral health questionnaires, and online cognitive tasks—all in one place.

How It Works  Get a Demo

Frequently asked questions

Where did the DAST-10 questionnaire come from?

The DAST-10 questionnaire was developed by Harvey Skinner at York University in 1982 as a way to screen for and monitor drug abuse.

Who uses the DAST-10 screening tool?

The DAST-10 questionnaire is commonly used by addiction clinics, healthcare professionals, organizations, researchers, and individuals to screen for drug abuse.

How is the DAST-10 scored?

A score of 0 means no problems reported; A score of 1-2 indicates low levels; A score of 3-4 indicates moderate levels of risk; A score of 6-8 indicates severe substance abuse; and a score of 9-10 indicates severe issues.

How does administration and scoring of the DAST-10 screening tool work in Creyos?

The DAST-10 is a self-report questionnaire that takes about 2 minutes to complete. The tool contains 10 yes/no items that ask about certain drug-related activities in the past year, not including alcohol.

Administration is flexible and efficient; questionnaires can be administered by a mental health provider or technician, either in-clinic or emailed to the patient to be completed remotely. This flexibility allows providers to maximize their appointment time with patients, and reduce time spent on scoring or recording session notes.

When a patient completes the DAST-10 questionnaire, providers get immediate insights through easy-to-read reports that combine questionnaire data with cognitive test results for a full picture of patient brain health. Creyos can also use APIs to integrate with a variety of electronic health record systems (EHRs) and has a built-in integration with athenahealth. Our platform automatically collects, scores, and organizes results from each questionnaire and adds them to the patient EHR.

What behaviors does the DAST-10 questionnaire evaluate?

The DAST-10 screening tool evaluates behaviors related to drug use and abuse, including: frequency of use, neglecting important activities; continued use despite negative consequences; legal problems; physical or psychological problems; risky behaviors; and failed relationships as a result of drug abuse.

How can the DAST-10 questionnaire support patients?

The DAST-10 questionnaire should be used as a screening tool to assist primary care providers or mental health professionals in understanding drug abuse behaviors and monitoring behaviors over time. Any conclusions drawn from the DAST-10 should be paired with further assessment, such as clinical interviews and observations, additional mental health examinations or assessments, evaluations of patient levels of distress, functional impairment, and/or family history.

What can the DAST-10 questionnaire not do?

The DAST-10 screening tool can serve as a starting point for conversations between patients and healthcare providers about drug abuse, but it does not suggest a particular diagnosis or course of treatment on its own. DAST-10 scores are meant as an aid to quantify and measure the presence and severity of symptoms and behaviors over time.

Still Have Questions? Speak to our Product Experts

Read the Study