The WASTE-Time Interview
By W. Bryce Hagedorn, Ph.D., Alexandra Frank and Sabrina Butler | May 2023
See the article "Game Over" for discussion of using this protocol.
Originally developed in 2005 for clinical use, the WASTE-Time Interview protocol has been expanded to working with adolescents and within school settings. The protocol shouldn’t be used for diagnostic purposes but solely as a tool to gather information and determine the next steps for support. School counselors are encouraged to use additional sources of information (e.g., teachers and/or parents/caregivers) when they are available.
You can ask the interview questions in sequence, but they tend to work better and cause less resistance if you can incorporate them into a conversation. For scoring purposes, an affirmative answer to any one question may be cause for escalating support. Any student answering yes to three or more questions raises significant concerns for the presence of an addictive disorder and should result in a consultation with the family and a referral to a trained addiction counselor in the community.
W: Withdrawal
How do you feel/what happens to you when you can’t engage in ____? (Fill in blank with specific behavior you are assessing, i.e., online game, Xbox game, iPhone app, etc.)
For younger students: What happens when an adult takes your phone away? How do you feel when you lose Xbox privileges? What does it feel like inside when you cannot play with the iPad?
An affirmative answer would include any negative emotional state that goes beyond what is “typical” for the student’s peer group.
A: Adverse Consequences
What kind of negative consequences have you experienced as a result of your (insert specific behavior)?
For younger students: When you are (insert specific behavior), what are you missing out on and what consequences have you experienced?
It may also be appropriate to check-in with a parent/guardian and/or teacher to assess changes in behavior and/or escalating consequences.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying consequences associated with the behavior, such as lower grades, lost sleep, changes in behavior, lost friendships, increased discipline responses at school or home.
S: Inability to Stop
Have you attempted to cut back, control or stop your (insert specific behavior) without success, even when you recognize it’s starting to cause some harm?
For younger students: What happens when you try to limit or cut back on your (insert specific behavior) use?
It may be appropriate to gauge self-control (or lack thereof) with a parent/guardian and/or teacher.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying a lack of self-control and inability to self-regulate time spent engaging in the activity (as is developmentally appropriate).
T: Tolerance or Insensitivity
Have you found it necessary to increase the amount or intensity of your (insert specific behavior) to achieve the same effect?
For younger students: What have you noticed about how (insert specific behavior) may have escalated over time? For example, when you first started (insert specific behavior), how much time did you spend each day? How about now?
Consulting with others may once again be appropriate; the intent is to determine if the behavior has ramped up in response to the need for increased stimulus/incentive/reward.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying a ramp-up of behavior to achieve the same feelings of satisfaction.
E: Escape
Do you use (insert specific behavior) as an escape from negative mood states, such as stress, anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness or anger?
For younger students: When do you find yourself most likely to (insert specific behavior), when you are happy or is it more when you’re feeling down, alone, angry or bored?
Similar to other questions, you may want to consult with others to help determine if the behavior is engaged as a way to mitigate negative mood states. Be mindful of the depth of these mood states to determine if something significant is driving the targeted behavior (escape from domestic violence, suicidal ideation, etc.).
An affirmative answer would include responses pairing the activity/behavior with any negative mood state (and thus eliminating/medicating that mood).
Time: Spent and Wasted
The intent here is to accumulate all the time the student spends thinking about, engaging in and recovering from the target behavior. Again, you may need to consult others.
An affirmative answer would include responses indicating large amounts of time/energy and/or obsessive tendencies paired with the activity/behavior.
Compare the student’s response to information you receive from teachers and/or parents/guardians.
An affirmative answer to this question includes responses indicating the activity/behavior has become more important than other tasks/responsibilities/activities.
Originally developed in 2005 for clinical use, the WASTE-Time Interview protocol has been expanded to working with adolescents and within school settings. The protocol shouldn’t be used for diagnostic purposes but solely as a tool to gather information and determine the next steps for support. School counselors are encouraged to use additional sources of information (e.g., teachers and/or parents/caregivers) when they are available.
You can ask the interview questions in sequence, but they tend to work better and cause less resistance if you can incorporate them into a conversation. For scoring purposes, an affirmative answer to any one question may be cause for escalating support. Any student answering yes to three or more questions raises significant concerns for the presence of an addictive disorder and should result in a consultation with the family and a referral to a trained addiction counselor in the community.
W: Withdrawal
How do you feel/what happens to you when you can’t engage in ____? (Fill in blank with specific behavior you are assessing, i.e., online game, Xbox game, iPhone app, etc.)
For younger students: What happens when an adult takes your phone away? How do you feel when you lose Xbox privileges? What does it feel like inside when you cannot play with the iPad?
An affirmative answer would include any negative emotional state that goes beyond what is “typical” for the student’s peer group.
A: Adverse Consequences
What kind of negative consequences have you experienced as a result of your (insert specific behavior)?
For younger students: When you are (insert specific behavior), what are you missing out on and what consequences have you experienced?
It may also be appropriate to check-in with a parent/guardian and/or teacher to assess changes in behavior and/or escalating consequences.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying consequences associated with the behavior, such as lower grades, lost sleep, changes in behavior, lost friendships, increased discipline responses at school or home.
S: Inability to Stop
Have you attempted to cut back, control or stop your (insert specific behavior) without success, even when you recognize it’s starting to cause some harm?
For younger students: What happens when you try to limit or cut back on your (insert specific behavior) use?
It may be appropriate to gauge self-control (or lack thereof) with a parent/guardian and/or teacher.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying a lack of self-control and inability to self-regulate time spent engaging in the activity (as is developmentally appropriate).
T: Tolerance or Insensitivity
Have you found it necessary to increase the amount or intensity of your (insert specific behavior) to achieve the same effect?
For younger students: What have you noticed about how (insert specific behavior) may have escalated over time? For example, when you first started (insert specific behavior), how much time did you spend each day? How about now?
Consulting with others may once again be appropriate; the intent is to determine if the behavior has ramped up in response to the need for increased stimulus/incentive/reward.
An affirmative answer would include responses conveying a ramp-up of behavior to achieve the same feelings of satisfaction.
E: Escape
Do you use (insert specific behavior) as an escape from negative mood states, such as stress, anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness or anger?
For younger students: When do you find yourself most likely to (insert specific behavior), when you are happy or is it more when you’re feeling down, alone, angry or bored?
Similar to other questions, you may want to consult with others to help determine if the behavior is engaged as a way to mitigate negative mood states. Be mindful of the depth of these mood states to determine if something significant is driving the targeted behavior (escape from domestic violence, suicidal ideation, etc.).
An affirmative answer would include responses pairing the activity/behavior with any negative mood state (and thus eliminating/medicating that mood).
Time: Spent and Wasted
- Have you found yourself spending a lot of time preparing for, engaging in or recovering from (insert specific behavior)?
The intent here is to accumulate all the time the student spends thinking about, engaging in and recovering from the target behavior. Again, you may need to consult others.
An affirmative answer would include responses indicating large amounts of time/energy and/or obsessive tendencies paired with the activity/behavior.
- Have you been spending more time and/or more resources on your (insert specific behavior) than you intended?
Compare the student’s response to information you receive from teachers and/or parents/guardians.
An affirmative answer to this question includes responses indicating the activity/behavior has become more important than other tasks/responsibilities/activities.