Do Substance Abuse and Mental Health Clients Prefer Automated Assessments

In both psychiatric and substance-abuse services, clinicians have been concerned with the introduction of automated assessments and with their clients' reactions toward those assessments. The positive reactions of psychiatric clients have been well documented, but little has been known about substance-abusing clients' impressions of automated assessments. The impact of automated assessment on clients seeking substance-abuse services was evaluated and compared with a previously analyzed sample of clients seeking mental health services. On the whole, both groups responded similarly and positively to automated assessments. Factor analyses revealed three underlying dimensions in client attitudes toward automated assessment, Completeness and satisfaction, Ease ofuse and enjoyment, and Negative attitudes. In addition, statistically, though not clinically, significant differences in attitudes were found between various demographic groups. Overall, the results support the use of automated assessments with individuals seeking either substance-abuse or mental-health services.