Utility of the college alcohol problem scale for use with students with disabilities

This research sought to evaluate the utility of the College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS) with a national sample of 952 college students with disabilities (SWDs). The CAPS is a frequently used tool to determine problematic drinking by college students. The CAPS' effectiveness with a number of unique student populations, including those who have been adjudicated for campus alcohol use policies and ethnic minorities, has been demonstrated. To date, however, no research has appeared to demonstrate its effectiveness with college SWDs. College SWDs, regardless of their tendency to use or misuse alcohol, face numerous challenges and impediments that place them at increased risk for school failure and drop-out. It stands to reason that these students would be at even greater risk for academic problems and other negative consequences if they engage in the types of alcohol use and misuse common to the college student population as a whole. It is therefore important to determine if the CAPS is appropriate for use with this population. In this research, we evaluated the CAPS for its reliability and accuracy by calculating its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and likelihood ratios using DSM criteria for alcohol abuse as the reference standard. Further, we compared the CAPS to two other widely used devices; the CAGE (Concerned, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-Opener) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). The CAPS was found to be a highly reliable device that strongly correlated to DSM criteria.