Alcohol Use Screening Tests

What are alcohol use screening tests?

Alcohol use screening tests are questionnaires designed to find out if you have alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD is a pattern of excessive drinking that can cause serious problems in your work, relationships, and health. AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcohol abuse or alcoholism.

Most people who drink alcohol don’t have AUD. But if you have AUD, you may:

• Find it hard to control the amount of alcohol you drink
• Spend a lot of time thinking about drinking
• Need increasing amounts of alcohol to feel its effects

AUD is a disease that can be treated. If you have AUD, an alcohol use screening test can help your provider make an effective treatment plan for you.

Other names: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), AUDIT-C, Cut down Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE) tool, Tolerance, Annoyed Cut down, Eye-opener (T-ACE) tool, Screening with Brief Intervention (SBI) Tool

What are they used for?

Alcohol use screening tests are used to diagnose AUD. Some tests can also help show if the disease is mild, moderate, or severe.

Why do I need an alcohol use screening test?

You may need a screening test if you have symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD). These include:

• Drinking more or longer than you planned
• Trying to cut down or quit but being unable to do it
• Hiding liquor bottles and glasses so others don’t see evidence of drinking
• Strong craving for alcohol
• Continuing to drink even if it causes problems in your personal relationships, work, school, and/or health
• Building up a tolerance to alcohol. That means you need more and more alcohol to feel its effects.

Some people with AUD don’t know or want to admit they have a problem. If your family, friends, or co-workers express concerns about your drinking, talk to your health care provider about getting a screening. Your provider may also recommend a screening if they notice signs and symptoms of the disorder.

What happens during an alcohol use screening test?

Alcohol use screening may be done by your primary care provider or a mental health provider. A mental health provider is a health care professional who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health problems. Some mental health providers specialize in treating AUD and similar disorders.

There are different types of alcohol use screening tests. But they each include questions about your drinking habits and how they affect your life. The most commonly used alcohol screening tests are:

• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). This test contains 10 multiple choice questions about how much and how often you drink alcohol and if you have any alcohol-related problems or reactions. The answers are scored on a point system. A score of 8 or more may indicate AUD.
• AUDIT-C is a shortened version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). It contains three multiple choice questions. Each answer is valued from 0 to 4 points. The higher the score, the more likely it is you have AUD.
• Cut down Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE). This contains the following yes or no questions:
  • Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
  • Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  • Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
  • Eye-opener: have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves?

Two or more “yes” answers may indicate AUD.

• Tolerance, Annoyed Cut down, Eye-opener T-ACE. This test is similar to CAGE and is targeted toward pregnant women. It contains the following yes or no questions:
  • Tolerance: How many drinks does it take to make you feel high?
  • Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  • Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
  • Eye-opener: have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves?

Two or more “yes” answers indicate a possible AUD.

• Screening with Brief Intervention (SBI) Tools. These tests contain a series of yes or no questions targeted to developing brief interventions. Brief interventions are short-term counseling sessions and treatment strategies designed to help people make changes in their drinking behaviors and habits. If your test shows you have or are at risk for a serious drinking problem, a long-term treatment plan may be recommended.

Some questionnaires, including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), are available online for self-testing. You can ask your provider how to access these tests.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

You don’t need any special preparations for an alcohol use screening test.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is no risk in taking a questionnaire.

What do the results mean?

Some results may show whether you have AUD. Others may show the level of severity of AUD. For those tests, your results may be in one of the following or similarly named categories:

• Mild. You may have one or two symptoms of problem drinking. It’s not a level that is considered hazardous, a pattern of drinking that puts your health at risk and/or has harmful social effects on you or others. But if you have one or two symptoms now, you may be at risk for developing a more serious problem in the future. Your provider may recommend steps to help you change your drinking habits.
• Moderate or Hazardous. You have four or five symptoms of a drinking problem. Your provider may recommend a brief intervention or other treatments.
• Severe or Alcohol Dependent You may need more intensive treatment. This can include seeing a specialist, medication, support groups, and/or addiction recovery programs.

Is there anything else I need to know about an alcohol use screening test?

Some people with AUD are able to change their behaviors to cut back on drinking. Other people will need to stop completely. This is known as abstinence. Depending on the severity of your disorder, your provider may recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Brief or long-term counseling from a mental health provider who specializes in treating AUD
• Support groups. There are many different approaches and formats to alcohol use disorder support groups. Talk with your provider to find a group and approach that’s right for you.
• Medication-assisted treatment. Certain medications may reduce your cravings for alcohol. These medicines are only for people who have stopped or are trying to stop drinking altogether.