CARS-5 version 5.5 now available!

We are releasing an update to CARS-5. This update, version 5.5, includes the following changes: We encourage all CARS-5 users to download and install CARS-5 version 5.5, now available at the CARS Download page. If you completed CARS assessments using the previous version of CARS-5 that you want to save, you will need to restore…

Latest Research: Evaluating the Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS) Screener

Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2021.1954024 Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that people who are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol are more likely to screen positive for psychiatric disorders than the general population. Additionally, psychiatric comorbidity has been shown to increase vulnerability to criminal re-offense. However, DUI programs face many barriers to screening…

Getting Started w/ CARS-5: Webinar available

Click the link below to access a recording of the webinar presented on May 8th, 2020, by Dr. Sarah Nelson, The Computerized Assessment & Referral System: Getting Started with CARS-5: Getting Started with CARS-5 Webinar This webinar provides an introduction to CARS-5, including (1) basic information about how to download and install CARS-5, (2) an…

Research: Prevalence and correlates of self-harm among a sample of repeat DUI offenders

Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16066359.2019.1622685?journalCode=iart20 Background: Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances (DUI) and suicide are both persistent but potentially preventable public health problems. DUI offenders, particularly those who have repeatedly offended, report elevated risk for many suicide risk factors. However, researchers have not systematically studied associations between repeat DUI and suicide. Methods: Out of a…

Research: Psychiatric comorbidity among first-time and repeat DUI offenders

The current study compares psychiatric comorbidity among repeat and first-time DUI offenders. First-time and repeat DUI offenders completed the screener module of the Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS), adapted from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI: Kessler & Ustun, 2004), to measure potential psychiatric comorbidity.

Research: Externalizing and self-medicating: Heterogeneity among repeat DUI offenders.

Abstract AIM: Despite significant reductions in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the United States during recent decades, DUI continues to be a major public health threat. The current study investigated the intersection of two domains known to influence DUI: criminal history and psychiatric comorbidity. METHODS: DUI recidivists (N = 743) attending a court-mandated two-week inpatient DUI…

Dr. Sarah Nelson interviewed on WPR

Dr. Sarah Nelson joined Central Time on Wisconsin Public Radio to discuss CARS and the pilot program in Wisconsin. http://www.carstrainingcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Dr_Nelson_CARS_NPR-2.mp3

The BASIS: What influences DUI?

At the Division on Addiction, we have studied DUI behavior for a long time – almost 12 years. We have established a connection between repeated DUI behavior and mental health diagnosis. We have quantified that connection and replicated it (Nelson, Belkin, LaPlante, Bosworth, & Shaffer, in press; Shaffer et al., 2007). We have shared those…

The BASIS: Special Series on DUI

President Reagan proclaimed the first National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week during December, 1982. Back then, more than 25,000 Americans were killed each year as a result of alcohol- or drug-related crashes. President Reagan’s proclamation marked the launch of sustained national efforts to cut the rate of drunk and drugged driving. When President Obama…