We will establish the validity and reliability of the WBDI, a new low-literacy depression screening instrument. The instrument is designed for use with drug abusers entering treatment. In pilot studies in San Francisco and Oakland, the instrument predicted drug use better than the CESD; scores were shown highly related to DIS measures of depression. In the Oakland sample, scores were highly related to alcohol use and problem drinking. In Phase 1, 271 male and female adult injectors will be recruited for a two-hour, two-session interview series. Following informed consent, a trained interviewer will administer the WBDI, the Beck depression inventory, the CESD, the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale, and a demographic inventory. A licensed clinician will then conduct a DSM-III assessment, using the SCID. A random sample of 50 will be invited to return in one week; the first interview package will be repeated to establish test-retest PhaseIGran. Data analysis will determine test-retest reliability, validity using the DSM-III diagnosis as the standard, and the influences of social desirabilitv and demographic characteristics. The instrument will be revised, using the results of an additional 30 Ss, for formal field testing in Phase 11.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:Over 8,000 drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers in the United States will need to screen clients for comorbid mental illnesses. The WBDI is ideally suited for low-literate clients.National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
