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. 2025 May 10:16:129-136.
doi: 10.2147/SAR.S519241. eCollection 2025.

Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-5): A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Mohamed Abouzed  1 , Ahmed Aljadani  2 , Amgad Gabr  1 , Mohamed Elsheikh  1 , Mohamed Saad Almuqahwi  3 , Mohamed Fayed Alrashidy  4 , Ghali Khalaf Alrashidi  4 , Mahmoud Farag Soliman  5 , Amal Nasser Altamimi  4 , Nida Saleh Alenze  4 , Nisrin Elsaadouni  6
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Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-5): A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Mohamed Abouzed et al. Subst Abuse Rehabil. .

Abstract

Background: The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a globally recognized tool for assessing substance use disorder (SUD) severity. Despite its widespread use, no validated Arabic version exists. This study aimed to validate the Arabic ASI-5 in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods: : A cross-sectional study recruited 400 participants (200 per country) from inpatient/outpatient SUD treatment centers. The ASI-5 underwent forward-backward translation, pilot testing, and cultural adaptation. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α), test-retest reliability (Spearman's ρ), and inter-observer reliability were assessed. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated using adjusted Spearman's correlations.

Results: The Arabic ASI-5 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.61-0.82), with medical (α = 0.78) and psychiatric (α = 0.82) domains showing the highest reliability. Lower consistency in drug (α = 0.62) and legal (α = 0.61) domains reflected cultural and methodological factors. Test-retest (ρ = 0.55-0.98) and inter-observer reliability (ρ = 0.78-0.99) were strong. Convergent validity was robust for medical and psychiatric domains (r = 0.70-0.85).

Conclusion: The Arabic ASI-5 is a reliable tool for assessing SUD severity in Arabic-speaking populations. Further refinement of drug and legal domains is recommended to enhance cultural relevance.

Keywords: addiction severity index; cross-cultural validation; psychometrics; substance use disorder.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest for this work.

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