Alcohol Assessment

What Is An Alcohol Assessment?

An alcohol assessment is a type of screening tool that can help determine whether or not you are struggling with alcohol misuse or addiction. An assessment can help determine how severe the problem is, whether or not you need professional help, and at which level of care.

Alcohol assessments are tools that come in questionnaire form, asking you about your alcohol consumption and other alcohol-related behaviors. These assessments can be self-administered, privately administered by a primary care doctor or mental health professional upon request, or court-ordered in the case of legal matters such as DUI or alcohol-related accidents.

Goals Of Alcohol Assessments

The goals of alcohol assessments are to evaluate whether an individual has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and to what extent. Additionally, alcohol assessments can help you:

• Recognize unhealthy behaviors associated with alcohol
• Identify the possibility of having an alcohol use disorder (AUD)
• Gauge the severity of your alcohol misuse
• Pinpoint what levels of care are needed in an addiction treatment plan
• Detect a potential co-occurring mental health disorder

If you are honest with your answers, you can expect to find out whether or not you have a poor relationship with alcohol and to the extent that it is negatively affecting your life.

Common Alcohol Assessments

There are a variety of different alcohol assessments available. While they differ slightly, they all serve the same purpose: to help assess your drinking behaviors and patterns.

AUDIT Assessment

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-question test developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. There is both a clinical version and a self-reported version. Questions primarily focus on how often you drink, the amount you drink, and how often you experience alcohol-related consequences, such as experiencing hangovers and blacking out.

AUDIT-C Assessment

This is a modified and shortened version of the AUDIT Assessment. Healthcare professionals can quickly administer the AUDIT-C to determine if further assessment of a patient’s alcohol use is needed.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test C (AUDIT-C) Assessment is a three-question alcohol assessment that helps identify those who are hazardous drinkers (binge drinkers, high-functioning alcoholics, etc.) or who have an AUD.

The AUDIT-C assessment questions include:

• How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
• How many standard drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day?
• How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?

CAGE Assessment

CAGE is an acronym for Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener. These phrases reference four questions that can be asked by healthcare professionals or self-administered to help assess the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse.

The CAGE questionnaire is one of the most common assessments used; however, it’s important to note that it is an assessment for those who regularly misuse and abuse alcohol. Those who binge drink or who are in the early stages of an AUD may not benefit or receive accurate results.

The CAGE assessment questions include:

• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

T-ACE Assessment

The T-ACE Assessment is an assessment tool to screen for heavy alcohol use in pregnant women. T-ACE uses the A (annoyed), C (cut down), and E (eye-opener) questions from the CAGE screening tool and adds one on T (tolerance for alcohol).

The T-ACE assessment questions include:

• How many drinks does it take to make you feel high?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you felt you ought to cut down on your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

MAST Test

The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) is a 25-question test that asks about your drinking behaviors and how alcohol affects your life. Answers are simple “yes” and “no,” with each answer adding to a total amount of points.

Screening With Brief Intervention (SBI) Tools

Excessive alcohol use is often unrecognized and underreported by individuals. Unless specifically questioned, many people will not disclose how much alcohol they consume. They may not even realize how much they drink and how this pattern can affect their life.

Screening and brief intervention (SBI) for alcohol use are short questions used to detect unhealthy drinking in the medical care setting and motivate patients to alter their behavior.

Alcohol assessments such as the ones listed above or short “yes” or “no” questions about alcohol use are used to:

• Assess the extent of the alcohol misuse
• Help people recognize their unhealthy relationship with alcohol
• Develop a plan to seek treatment or change their drinking behaviors.

Interventions can include short-term counseling sessions or comprehensive alcohol treatment programs, depending on the severity of the alcohol misuse.

Pros And Cons Of Alcohol Assessments

In general, alcohol assessments are beneficial and non-invasive ways to determine whether or not you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. They can help determine other problems associated with drinking, such as mental health problems or medical problems, and they can also be the stepping stone for you to seek professional help for your alcohol misuse.

Some of the possible drawbacks associated with alcohol assessments are that they require time and honesty. You have to answer the questions honestly for the assessment to work, which can be stressful if you were not aware, until now, of how much alcohol you are consuming and how those habits are affecting your life.

These assessments can take time for you to answer and can take time for the medical professional to administer. Although many free online versions are available as self-assessments, if you choose to accept an assessment from a healthcare provider, there may be a clinical fee.

Warning Signs Of Alcohol Misuse And Alcohol Use Disorder

If you suspect that your drinking habits are part of a bigger problem, there are some signs and thought patterns to watch for, including:

• You have a high tolerance for alcohol
• You drink in secret
• You experience mood swings
• You make drinking a priority
• You deny drinking or make excuses for your drinking
• You rely on alcohol to regulate your emotions and stressors
• You camouflage your drinking behavior as social drinking
• You always have a reason to drink

Thinking about and rationalizing your drinking habits can also signify a more significant issue. Some maladaptive thoughts include:

• “I am a successful individual, so how can my drinking be out of control?”
• “I only purchase top-shelf alcohol.”
• “I have not endured hardships or damage due to alcohol.”
• “Everyone drinks as I do; it’s normal.”

Exhibiting any of these signs or thought patterns could mean that you are struggling with alcohol misuse, and it may be time to explore treatment options.

What To Do After An Alcohol Assessment

If your alcohol assessment results indicate that you may have a problem with alcohol, it is wise to talk a primary care provider, mental health provider, or addiction professional to determine whether you need formal treatment. They can assess whether you have a diagnosable AUD and discuss the next steps.

Featured Centers Offering Treatment For Alcohol Addiction

What To Do If Your Alcohol Use Is Problematic

Completing an alcohol assessment can help you evaluate whether your alcohol use is problematic.

If you are experiencing problems related to alcohol use or suspect you may be in the early stages of an AUD, many resources and treatment programs are available to help quit. To learn more about these treatment options, contact a treatment provider today.