Assessment and Treatment of Substance Use Among Amish Youth, Part 1: Efficacy of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory--Adolescent, 2nd Edition
Abstract
Amish adolescents experience a different trajectory into substance use than mainstream adolescents in North American culture. Given the limited empirical evidence for treatment with this population, interventions rely on application of assessment instruments and programs validated and standardized in the mainstream. The efficacy of these techniques and their modifications with Plain youth relies on clinical judgement. This study examines the generalizability of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent, 2nd Edition (SASSI-A2) as a screening instrument. A total of 326 Amish youth, ages 15–20, arrested for possession or use of alcohol or other drugs and referred to a psychoeducational intervention program tailored to their needs, were administered the SASSI-A2. Results were analyzed for the robustness of existing scales and underlying factors. Although existing scales demonstrated weak internal consistency, Principal Components Analysis found two strong factors. While reported alcohol use practices were similar to those of mainstream adolescents, differences in trajectory of first use and the peer culture in which use occurs were hypothesized to influence differing perceptions on the impact of alcohol use. In a companion article to be published in the next issue of this journal, these factors are combined with other variables to predict substance use patterns.
Keywords: Amish adolescents, Amish substance use, Amish and SASSI, Rumspringa substance use
How to Cite:
Cates, J. A., Weber, C. & Sunderland, W. A., (2026) “Assessment and Treatment of Substance Use Among Amish Youth, Part 1: Efficacy of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory--Adolescent, 2nd Edition”, The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 6(2), 68-81. doi: https://doi.org/10.18061/jpac.6315
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