WHO ASSIST Information
MindCheck Tools does not reproduce, administer, score, or interpret the WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test. This page explains its clinical purpose and the current public-web permission boundary.
Quick answer
- What is this?
- An educational overview of WHO ASSIST, its intended health-care context, limitations, and public electronic-use permission boundary.
- Who is it for?
- People seeking official-source information about the instrument or a separately permitted alcohol-only screening option.
- Bottom line
- WHO permission for direct-to-consumer public-web administration is not on file. This page provides no questionnaire, score, or intervention category and cannot diagnose a substance use disorder.
Why the public questionnaire is not provided
WHO's official manual permits specified use in primary-care and treatment settings. That limited context does not clearly grant a commercial public website the right to reproduce the instrument and deliver automated results directly to consumers.
MindCheck Tools has not archived written WHO permission covering public electronic administration, scoring, respondent-facing interpretation, traffic, geography, modifications, or the site's commercial context.
The established URL therefore remains an ad-free informational resource while questionnaire content, substance-specific scoring, risk categories, and individualized intervention statements are withheld.
What WHO ASSIST was designed to support
WHO developed ASSIST to help trained health-care workers identify substance involvement and guide a clinical conversation or appropriate intervention across more than one substance category.
A responsible evaluation also considers current intoxication or withdrawal, medications, physical and mental health, safety, pregnancy, age, and local treatment resources. An automated public result cannot supply that context.
Separately permitted, non-equivalent options
These links serve different purposes and cannot reproduce, replace, or be compared with this instrument. Each option has its own scope, timeframe, limitations, and interpretation.
Privacy boundary
This page does not ask for symptoms or experiences, collect answers, calculate a score, or produce a personal result. If you open another self-check, review its limits and the privacy policy before answering, especially on a shared device.
If you need immediate help
An informational page or self-check cannot assess an emergency. In the United States, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 for immediate danger. Outside the United States, use local emergency or crisis services.
Sources and rights evidence
- WHO: ASSIST manual Official manual describing the instrument's health-care setting and stated reproduction context.
- WHO copyright and licensing policy Official route for reuse requests beyond the permission stated in a WHO publication.
- SAMHSA Find Support U.S. treatment and support information; it does not provide or replace an ASSIST result.
Reviewed by Jason Ramirez, CADC-II with 11 years of clinical experience in substance use counseling.
Review covers source alignment, scoring, limitations, and safety language within the reviewer's stated credential scope; it is not diagnosis or individual care.
Last reviewed: August 2, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is WHO ASSIST?
The World Health Organization developed ASSIST for trained use in health-care settings to identify substance-related concerns and support an appropriate clinical conversation or intervention.
Can I complete WHO ASSIST on MindCheck Tools?
No. The official manual describes free use in primary-care and treatment settings, but MindCheck Tools has not obtained a WHO grant covering direct-to-consumer public-web administration, automated scoring, or commercial-site use.
Why are the questions, scores, and intervention categories omitted?
Those materials are withheld until WHO grants the contemplated use. Automated respondent-facing interpretation also cannot replace a trained assessment of substance use, safety, withdrawal risk, medications, and other health factors.
Are AUDIT or AUDIT-C equivalent to WHO ASSIST?
No. AUDIT and AUDIT-C address alcohol use only and have different scopes and scoring. They do not assess other substances and cannot reproduce an ASSIST result.
Can this page diagnose a substance use disorder?
No. This page collects no substance-use information and provides no result. Diagnosis requires an evaluation by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.