Links To And Excerpts From The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Website

In this post I link and excerpt from the outstanding website, AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) [Link is to the home page.]

From the home page:

The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) is a simple and effective method of screening for unhealthy alcohol use, defined as risky or hazardous consumption or any alcohol use disorder.

Importantly, the AUDIT provides a framework for intervention to help those with unhealthy alcohol use reduce or cease alcohol consumption and thereby avoid the harmful consequences of alcohol.

The AUDIT can also help identify alcohol dependence and specific consequences of harmful drinking. It is particularly designed for health care practitioners and a range of health settings, but with suitable instructions it can be self-administered or used by non-health professionals.

Take the AUDIT online  test right now [click on the link]:

CHECK YOUR DRINKING: An interactive self-test

The AUDIT questionnaire is designed to help in the self-assessment of alcohol consumption and to identify any implications for the person’s health and wellbeing, now and in the future.

It consists of 10 questions on alcohol use. The responses to these questions can be scored and the total score prompts feedback to the person and in some cases offers specific advice.

Conduct a quick self-test with the AUDIT. Click on “submit” at the end for an instant assessment.

From the Scoring AUDIT page:

Scoring the AUDIT

The AUDIT has 10 questions and the possible responses to each question are scored 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, with the exception of questions 9 and 10 which have possible responses of 0, 2 and 4.

The range of possible scores is from 0 to 40 where 0 indicates an abstainer who has never had any problems from alcohol. A score of 1 to 7 suggests low-risk consumption according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Scores from 8 to 14 suggest hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption and a score of 15 or more indicates the likelihood of alcohol dependence (moderate-severe alcohol use disorder).

Results from the original WHO study showed that the term “drink” in questions 2 and 3 encompassed amounts of alcohol ranging from 8 grams to 13 grams. Where a standard drink is defined as an amount outside this range (e.g. 20 grams) it is recommended that the response categories are modified accordingly.

See: Drink-Less Program, AUDIT Decision TreeInteractive AUDIT Test

From the Background page:

Background

The AUDIT has been used worldwide since 1989. It enquires about the three key domains of:

1. alcohol intake;

2. potential dependence on alcohol, and;

3. experience of alcohol-related harm.

Many of the AUDIT’s questions reflect the fundamental relationship between people and alcohol, including its liability to cause dependence (addiction) and a range of harmful consequences. The three domains can be scored individually but it is most usual to compute the score for the AUDIT as a whole.

See: Scoring the AUDITUtility in Various SettingsAUDIT Derivatives, AUDIT Decision TreeTranslationsPrimary PublicationsSystematic and Other ReviewsFrequently Asked Questions

From the AUDIT Derivatives page:

AUDIT Derivatives

The full version of the AUDIT comprises 10 items or questions. Over the years, several derivatives of the AUDIT have been published.

The most popular of these is the AUDIT-C, a three-item questionnaire that comprises the first three questions of the AUDIT consumption measures. The single-item AUDIT-3 comprises the third question on heavy episodic drinking alone. The AUDIT United States (US) version has consumption questions which reflect the US definition of a standard drink.

Briefer versions of the AUDIT have been shown to be convenient and effective instruments for diagnosing alcohol use disorders in a primary care setting. Various AUDIT derivatives have also been effective in evaluating special groups such as adolescents, the elderly and pregnant women.

See: AUDIT Derivatives Research Papers

Here is the link to the AUDIT Decision Tree:

AUDIT Decision Tree

The AUDIT Decision Tree is a simple method of putting Screening, Brief intervention and Referral to treatment (SBIRT) into practice.

On the basis of the AUDIT score, the health practitioner provides feedback on the category of alcohol use in which the person fits. At this point an intervention is suggested.

For those with a score of 8-14 this would typically be a brief intervention (see the Drink-Less Program). For those with a score of 15+, options include referral for specialist treatment, detoxification, enrolment in a therapy program and pharmacotherapies (medication), and engagement with a self-help fellowship.

The AUDIT Decision Tree: from screening, scoring and assessment, to taking action

Link to The Drink-Less Program page:

The Drink-Less Program

The Drink-Less Program is a straightforward set of intervention resources for primary health care practitioners to use for screening and brief intervention in a person with known or potential hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption.

It is based on the 5-minute intervention shown to be effective in the World Health Organization collaborative trial of brief intervention for hazardous or harmful alcohol use. It was initially developed at the University of Sydney, Australia, and has been adapted and employed in approximately 20 countries, being updated periodically.

It is proven suitable for use in primary health care, occupational health settings, in medical specialists’ practices and as part of drink-driver intervention programs.

The Drink-Less Program comprises the package of resources below:

 

 

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