Introduction
The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) is a brief, widely used self-report screening tool that flags the likelihood of substance-related problems based on ten yes/no questions.
How to use the Drug Abuse Screening (DAST-10) Calculator
- Answer the 10 DAST-10 questions elsewhere (paper or interview) and count the total number of "yes" responses.
- Enter that count here.
- Click Calculate to see the risk band and where it sits on the scale.
Formula and Calculation Method
Risk band is determined directly from the count of "yes" responses across the 10 DAST screening questions.
Visual breakdown
REFERENCE
0 none · 1–2 low · 3–5 moderate · 6–8 substantial · 9–10 severe
Why use this calculator
DAST-10 scoring bands (0, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10) are easy to misread manually. This calculator returns the classification instantly and shows visually how close the score sits to the next band.
FAQs
Is this a diagnosis?
No. DAST-10 is a screening tool; a high score indicates further clinical assessment is warranted, not a diagnosis on its own.
Who developed DAST-10?
It's a shortened version of the original Drug Abuse Screening Test, widely used in primary care and addiction services.
Can the score go above 10?
No — there are exactly 10 yes/no items, so the maximum possible score is 10.