Instruments included in the survey
| Instrument /items | Constructs measured | Psychometric testing |
|---|---|---|
| Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS)70 | Degree of psychological dependence on different illicit drugs | Published psychometric data available70 Australian comparative data available76 |
| GAIN Short Screener (GAIN-SS) (Psychological Functioning Scale)71 | Psychological functioning: background; substance use; physical health; risk behaviours; mental health; and environment, legal and vocational factors | Published psychometric data available77 Australian comparative data available76 |
| The Opiate Treatment Index (Social Functioning Scale (SFS))72 73 | Social functioning: drug use; HIV risk-taking behaviour, social functioning criminality, health and psychological adjustment | Published psychometric data available73 Australian comparative data available76 |
| Blood-Borne Virus Exposure Risk scale (BBVER)78 | Injecting drug behaviour: item of injection equipment used | Published psychometric data available from Australia76 |
| Occasions of Drug Use Index (ODUI) and polydrug use78 | Number of days in the last month that they used the following: alcohol, heroin and other illicit opioids, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, tranquilisers and tobacco | Published psychometric data available from Australia76 |
| Family Assessment Device (FAD)—General Functioning Scale79 80 | Structural, organisational and transactional characteristics of families | Published psychometric data available79 |
| EQ-5D-5L Quality of Life Scale | Measures quality of life using 5 levels across 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression | Published psychometric data available74 |
| Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) codes75 | Number of arrests, type of offence committed and outcomes of arrests | The items measure offence-related events not psychological constructs |
| Health service utilisation questionnaire | Type and number of health services accessed | The items measure health service events not psychological constructs. The instrument has been used previously in Australian studies.81–83 |