Utility of the AUDIT for identification of hazardous or harmful drinking in drug-dependent patients.
We evaluated the psychometric properties of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), a ten-item screening test for identification of hazardous drinkers, in a sample of 82 patients with DSM-III-R drug dependence. AUDIT showed good internal consistency (alpha = 0.94) and a unitary factor structure. Receiver operating characteristics analysis showed the AUDIT to be comparable to the Michigan alcoholism screening test (MAST) in identifying individuals with a current alcohol use disorder and superior to the MAST for those who are hazardous drinkers. In this patient sample, AUDIT performed well at the recommended cut-off score of > or = 8. We recommend use of the AUDIT for identification of hazardous and harmful drinking among individuals with a drug use disorder.
Skipsey
K
K
University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Farmington 06030, USA.
Burleson
J A
JA
Kranzler
H R
HR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*