What the DAST-10 measures
Developed by Harvey A. Skinner, the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) was designed to provide a brief, self-report clinical interview for assessing the severity of drug abuse. The DAST-10 is the heavily validated short form. Crucially, the DAST evaluates consequences and behaviors surrounding drug use (e.g., legal issues, guilt, family complaints) rather than simply measuring the volume of drugs consumed, aligning with modern DSM-5 substance use disorder criteria.
The dimensions it assesses
- Non-medical use of prescription drugs (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines).
- Use of illegal street drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine).
- (It explicitly excludes alcohol and tobacco).
Already have a DAST-10 score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
(Theoretical Range: 0 to 10)
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No Risk | None. |
| 1 – 2 | Low Level | Brief clinical counseling and monitoring. |
| 3 – 5 | Moderate Level | Outpatient assessment and therapy. |
| 6 – 8 | Substantial Level | Intensive Outpatient or Inpatient detox evaluation. |
| 9 – 10 | Severe Level | Immediate specialized addiction treatment required. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- Medical Detox Warning: If Q9 (withdrawal) is answered 'Yes', the individual requires a medical evaluation before stopping drug use, as withdrawal from certain substances (like benzos) can be dangerous.
- Harm Reduction: If the individual is not ready to cease use, provide resources on harm reduction (e.g., needle exchanges, fentanyl testing strips, naloxone access).
Common questions about the DAST-10
- What does the DAST-10 measure?
- Screening for drug abuse or substance use disorder (excluding alcohol and tobacco).
- Can the DAST-10 diagnose me?
- No. Drug Use Screening (DAST-10) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.
- What is considered a high score on the DAST-10?
- Scores of 9 – 10 fall in the range described as "Severe Level", while 1 – 2 is described as "Low Level". Those labels describe bands of scores rather than people, and a score sitting one point either side of a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it.
- How long does the DAST-10 take?
- 10 questions, which most people finish in 2 – 3 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this DAST-10 test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the DAST-10?
- Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.
- How accurate is the DAST-10?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Harvey Skinner / CAMH. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Skinner, H. A. (1982). The drug abuse screening test. Addictive Behaviors, 7(4), 363-371.
- Yudko, E., Lozhkina, O., & Fouts, A. (2007). A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 32(2), 189-198.
Licensing
free-permitted. Free for non-commercial clinical and research use.