FAST Highlights (also see the 27-item FASI): Can be given in an interview format or paper-pencil format in 15 minutes Is designed for clients aged 16 or older Can be administered and scored in less than 20 minutes. Provides T scores for 11 levels of self-destructive thought, three composite scores (issues related to self-esteem, issues related to self-harm, and issues related to substance abuse), a total score, plus an additional sub scale of suicide risk based on 27 items found to be the strongest predictors of suicidality Can be used as a preliminary screening device for new clients or to evaluate changes in self-destructive thoughts over time

The Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (FAST), published by The Glendon Association, is based on the clinical theory of Robert Firestone. This approach, which integrates cognitive and psychodynamic concepts, assesses the levels of self-destructive thoughts a person is experiencing, along a specific Continuum of Negative Thought Patterns. Clinicians can learn valuable information about clients' levels of functioning along this continuum. The continuum begins with self-critical thoughts of everyday life (Level 1), progresses to self-abusive thoughts and vicious self-accusations (Level 5), then on to those thoughts leading to addictive behavior or substance abuse (Level 6), and finally to injunctions to carry out a suicidal plan. (Level 11).

The FAST consists of 84 items that clients endorse on a 5-point, Likert-type scale from "never" to "almost always." They consist of self-destructive thoughts taken directly from clinical material derived from a longitudinal study of clients' negative thought processes. The suicide risk sub scale provides a brief measure of a person's suicidal potential.

This instrument is useful as a screen for persons entering psychological treatment. FAST scores indicate areas in which the client is experiencing the greatest degree of distress. It will also serve as a brief pre-and post-therapy measure.

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