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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Nordisk Alkohol- & Narkotikatidskrift : NAT

Recommending the Addiction Severity Index for Swedish Social Services: Where is the Evidence?

  • Alexander Björk1
  1. 1Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract

The article argues that there is a lack of clear evidence that motivates the strong recommendation of the standardized assessment instrument Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare's (NBHW) national practice guidelines. The argument centers on the municipal social services sector where the ASI has gained most traction. The article reviews the assessments underpinning the NBHW's recommendation of the ASI, points out unclear links between presented evidence and recommendations, and calls attention to research that is omitted from the guidelines. Finally, implications and possible ways forward regarding the social services' assessment of clients with substance use problems are discussed.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{bjork2026recommending,
  title = {{Recommending the Addiction Severity Index for Swedish Social Services: Where is the Evidence?}},
  author = {Alexander Björk},
  journal = {Nordisk Alkohol- \& Narkotikatidskrift : NAT},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1177/14550725261498138},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/14550725261498138},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Recommending the Addiction Severity Index for Swedish Social Services: Where is the Evidence?
AU  - Alexander Björk
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/25
JO  - Nordisk Alkohol- & Narkotikatidskrift : NAT
DO  - 10.1177/14550725261498138
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1177/14550725261498138
AB  - The article argues that there is a lack of clear evidence that motivates the strong recommendation of the standardized assessment instrument Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare's (NBHW) national practice guidelines. The argument centers on the municipal social services sector where the ASI has gained most traction. The article reviews the assessments underpinning the NBHW's recommendation of the ASI, points out unclear links between presented evidence and recommendations, and calls attention to research that is omitted from the guidelines. Finally, implications and possible ways forward regarding the social services' assessment of clients with substance use problems are discussed.
SN  - 1455-0725
SN  - 1458-6126
ER  -