# Evidence-based assessment/Instruments/Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

HGAPS is finding new ways to make psychological science conferences more accessible!
Here are examples from APA 2022 and the JCCAP Future Directions Forum. Coming soon... ABCT! ~ More at HGAPS.org ~
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a ten-question test developed by a World Health Organization-sponsored collaborative project to determine if a person may be at risk for alcohol abuse problems. The test was designed to be used internationally, and was validated in a study drawing patients from six countries. It performs well in medical settings like primary health care, outpatient settings, and hospital units.
The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C) is a 3-question screening test for problem drinking used frequently in primary care settings.

## Psychometrics
### Reliability

Evaluation for norms and reliability for the AUDIT :
| Criterion | Rating (adequate, good, excellent) | Explanation with references |
| Norms | Good | Multiple studies tested AUDIT for possible sex, ethnic, and age differences |
| Internal consistency | Good | A review of 18 studies reported a median Cronbach's alpha of 0.8 |
| Test-retest reliability | Good | r = 0.81 among 126 primary care patients over 6 weeks; 69% to 89% of subjects fall into the same category after 6-week interval |
| Inter-rater reliability | Not applicable | Can be completed as a clinician-administered interview or a self-report questionnaire |

### Validity

Evaluation of validity and utility for the AUDIT :
| Criterion | Rating (adequate, good, excellent) | Explanation with references |
| Content validity | Good | Covers drinking behaviors, adverse psychological reactions, alcohol-related problems, and alcohol consumption |
| Construct validity | Good | Studies generally supported a two-factor model with a consumption factor and an adverse consequences of drinking factor |
| Validity generalization | Excellent | Used both as a clinician-administered interview and a self-report questionnaire; used in college students and psychiatric patients; translated into multiple languages with satisfactory psychometric qualities |

## Scoring and interpretation

Scoring the AUDIT is based on a 0-4 point scale. Six of the ten questions ask about the frequency of certain alcohol abuse behaviors and are scored by the following responses:
* 0 points: "Never"
* 1 point: "Less than monthly"
* 2 points: "Monthly"
* 3 points: "Weekly"
* 4 points: "Daily, or almost daily"
The other four questions vary in participant response choice but are scored on a 0-4 point scale.

### Item breakdown

The questions measure different domains of alcohol consumption problems. The breakdown is as follows:
* 1-3: Measure frequency in alcohol consumption
* 4-6: Measure alcohol dependence
* 7-10: Measure alcohol related problems

### Interpretation of scores

In order to score the AUDIT, point values of each answer choice are summed together and then interpreted based on the following criteria.
* A score of 8 or more in men (7 in women) indicates a strong likelihood of hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption.
* A score of 20 or more is suggestive of alcohol dependence (although some authors quote scores of more than 13 in women and 15 in men as indicating likely dependence).