Brazilian Version of the Brief Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addiction

IntroductionExcessive and compulsive behaviors, including substance and behavioral addictions, represent a growing global concern. In Brazil, the increasing prevalence of these behaviors underscores the need for effective screening tools to identify individuals at risk. The Brief Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addiction (SSBA) has been recognized internationally for its utility in both clinical assessment and public health surveillance. This study aimed to adapt the SSBA for use in Brazil, with potential applications in other Portuguese-speaking countries.MethodsThe adaptation process followed international guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of psychometric instruments. It included forward translation into Portuguese, back-translation into English, and expert committee review to ensure semantic and conceptual equivalence. A pilot study was conducted to assess clarity and relevance. Subsequently, the Brazilian version of the SSBA was administered to a sample of 450 individuals, comprising both clinical and non-clinical populations. Psychometric analyses evaluated the instrument’s reliability, validity, and factorial structure.ResultsThe Brazilian version of the SSBA demonstrated good internal consistency and satisfactory construct validity across subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original structure of the instrument, and no major linguistic or cultural adaptations were required. The screener showed strong discriminative power between clinical and non-clinical participants, indicating its effectiveness for identifying individuals at risk for addiction-related disorders.DiscussionThe adapted SSBA is a reliable and valid tool for the Brazilian context and may be extended to other Lusophone countries. It provides a brief yet comprehensive screening method suitable for various settings, including clinical practice, research, and community health. The instrument is particularly valuable for health professionals working in addiction prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, supporting early identification and intervention efforts.