Cocaine Selective Severity Assessment

The Cocaine Selective Severity Assessment is a clinician-administered instrument that measures early cocaine abstinence signs and symptoms. The 18 items that make up the CSSA were primarily drawn from symptoms commonly reported in the literature as being associated with early cocaine abstinence, including depression, fatigue, anhedonia, anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance, and inability to concentrate. The items also address additional symptoms such as paranoia, carbohydrate craving, bradycardia, and suicidality. Items are rated on a scale of 0-7, with separate scale descriptions for each item. The CSSA appears to be a reliable and valid measure of cocaine abstinence symptoms and a useful predictor of negative outcomes in cocaine dependence treatment. It requires little training to administer and less than 10 minutes to complete.