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The test-retest reliability of lifetime substance abuse and dependence diagnoses obtained by telephone interviewers was investigated. Trained personnel administered two identical interviews based on a modified Diagnostic Interview Schedule-Substance Abuse Module (DIS-SAM) approximately a week apart for 100 respondents, of whom 55 were receiving alcohol or other drug treatment and 45 were randomly selected from residential households in one Michigan county. The uncorrected agreement for all lifetime dependence diagnoses exceeded 93% for all six categories assessed and the more conservative chance corrected agreement (Cohen's Kappa coefficient [Kappa]) was .92 (alcohol), .76 (marijuana), .87 (cocaine), and .71 (other opiates). Kappa coefficients for hallucinogens and heroin dependence could not be calculated due to low (i.e., 5% or less) base rates. Likewise, [Kappa] was calculated only for a single abuse diagnosis, alcohol, with [Kappa] = .42 and 95% agreement. In the interpretation of [Kappa], the standard applied was: [Kappa] ranging from .41 to .60 represented moderate agreement, [Kappa] ranging from .61 to .80 represented substantial agreement, and [Kappa] ranging from .81 to 1.00 represented excellent agreement. Thus, test-retest reliability was excellent for lifetime alcohol and cocaine dependence and was substantial for lifetime marijuana and other opiates dependence. These results indicate that lifetime psychoactive substance abuse diagnoses cam be obtained fairly reliably over the telephone using trained lay interviewers., INTRODUCTION Under a competitive procurement process, the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) funded all states to assess substance abuse treatment need and demand for individuals with alcohol and [...]

This article presents information on the demographic and behavioral factors associated with client-reported HIV infection among new enrollees in methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTPs) in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It is informed that in the U.S., there are an estimated half million heroin addicts and approximately 115,000 addicts in 750 outpatient MMTPs. HIV has spread rapidly among injection drug users (IDUs) in the U.S. and in Europe. This rapid spread of HIV among IDUs has predominantly been the result of the sharing of contaminated needles, syringe, etc. Numerous factors associated with HIV infection among IDUs have been found within different geographic areas and communities. HIV infection is related to sexual behaviors, drug use behaviors, or both; however, specific factors related to these behaviors are not consistent between studies. One longitudinal study found that IDUs who reduced their HIV risk behaviors had a lower seroconversion rate than those who continued to engage in high-risk behaviors.