Mental health assessment
Free DAST-10 Drug Use Self-Assessment
Take the 10-question Drug Abuse Screening Test, a brief validated screen for drug-related problems over the past year. It takes about two minutes and your answers never leave your device.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DAST-10?
The Drug Abuse Screening Test is a brief self-report screen developed by Harvey Skinner and published in 1982. The original had 28 items; the 10-item short form used here is the version in common clinical use. It screens for problems related to drug use over the past 12 months.
How is the DAST-10 scored?
Each item scores one point, giving a total from 0 to 10. Item 3 is reverse-scored: because it asks whether you are always able to stop when you want to, the point is earned by answering No rather than Yes. Bands are 0 none, 1 to 2 low, 3 to 5 moderate, 6 to 8 substantial, and 9 to 10 severe.
Does the DAST-10 include alcohol?
No. The instrument deliberately excludes alcohol and tobacco, and covers the non-medical use of prescription medicines together with illicit drugs. The AUDIT is the corresponding screen for alcohol, and taking both gives a fuller picture where use overlaps.
Does a high score mean I am addicted?
No. The DAST-10 is a screening instrument that indicates how intensive an assessment is warranted. Diagnosis of a substance use disorder requires a clinical assessment covering criteria this questionnaire does not measure.
About this screening tool
The DAST was developed by Harvey Skinner at the Addiction Research Foundation and published in Addictive Behaviors in 1982, reporting high internal consistency and a unidimensional structure. It is free to use and is listed by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse among its recommended screening tools. This screener is provided for information and does not replace clinical assessment.
References
Your DAST-10 result in context
The DAST-10 measures consequences rather than quantity. It never asks how much or how often, which is unusual among substance screens and is a deliberate design choice. What it asks about is whether use has produced guilt, conflict, withdrawal, medical problems, or loss of control.
That makes it robust to a common problem: people are far better at reporting what has happened to them than at estimating amounts. It also means the score can be high for someone whose use looks moderate from the outside, and low for someone using heavily without consequences yet.
The reverse-scored third item is worth understanding. It asks whether you are always able to stop when you want to, and the point is earned by answering No. A questionnaire that scored every Yes would treat that answer backwards, which is why it is handled separately here.
Other screens you might also take
Drug use overlaps heavily with alcohol, mood, and trauma. These brief screens can help separate what is driving what.