Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS)

CISS comparison scores for harm minimisation oriented methadone prescribing outpatient services

 

  

 

A survey of 243 clients at the Royal Free Drug Service in London

(see below for details)

 

Average CISS score = 9.1 (sd = 3.4)

 

 

 

 

16%obtained CISS scores in range

0 to 5

= low problem severity

 

 

 

67%obtained CISS scores in range

6 to 12

= average problem severity

 

 

 

17%obtained CISS scores in range

13 to 20

= high problem severity

 

 

 

 

 

A chart to illustrate the score distribution of CISS

See chart above: The green bars indicate the CISS score distribution of outpatient drug users who were mostly maintained on methadone (e.g., 32 subjects scored 9, the mode score).

 

Brief description

This group consisted of 243 drug users (160 male, 83 female) who accounted for 96% of all clients appearing on the register of the Royal Free drug service.

Their mean age was 37.0 years (sd = 7.9, range = 17 - 56).

Their mean period since treatment entry was 872.3 days (sd = 774.1, range = 0 - 3124).

Most were poly-drug users, 96% were primarily opiate users and 90% were being prescribed opioids (methadone) by the service.

CISS total scores were normally distributed, the mean was centrally located and there was no floor or ceiling effect.

One standard deviation either side of the mean indicated a score range of 6 to 12 as being of average problem severity for this type of sample.

 

  

References

Christo, G., Spurrell, S. and Alcorn, R. (2000). Validation of the Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS): a simple outcome evaluation tool. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

   

 Links within CISS site 

CISS home page and index.

CISS form

CISS general overview. Unedited version of an explanatory article about CISS which appeared in Addiction Today Magazine (Nov/Dec, 1999)

CISS comparison scores for harm minimisation oriented methadone prescribing outpatient services

CISS comparison scores for an outpatient alcohol service (item score comparisons with drug users)  

CISS comparison scores and cutoffs for abstinence oriented services

CISS technical information (reliability, validity, correlations with other scales)  

CISS detailed information. Validation of the Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS): a simple outcome evaluation tool (from Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2000).

 

ã 1998 George Christo PhD, PsychD.