PCN 501 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 1

There are numerous screening instruments available to help counselors assess and diagnose substance use disorders. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using standardized instruments to assess and diagnose clients?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Screening instruments for assessing and diagnosing substance use disorders

Introduction

If you’re a healthcare provider, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to screening for substance use disorders. There are a number of instruments that have been developed over the years, and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. In this article we’ll look at some of these screening tests so that you can decide which one is right for your practice.

The CAGE questionnaire

The CAGE questionnaire is a four-question test that can be used to assess alcohol abuse. The first question asks if you have had any alcohol to drink within the last 24 hours. The second question asks how many drinks on average it takes for you to feel “high,” and the third asks whether your recent drinking has been caused by something in particular (e.g., social pressure). Finally, if all else fails and your answers suggest that there might be something wrong with your relationship with booze—the fourth question is “Have you ever felt so drunk that [you] did not know what was going on?”

The CAGE questionnaire is useful for screening for alcohol abuse because it’s simple and easy enough for most people who need help getting sober (you wouldn’t want someone with coke problems taking care of yours). However, this doesn’t mean it’s foolproof: some people can lie convincingly while others will reveal themselves easily through their answers alone!

Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test

The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a self-report questionnaire that can be used by healthcare professionals to screen for alcohol abuse, tobacco use and other drug-related problems. This questionnaire has been adapted to assess drug use in the elderly.

Drug Abuse Screening Test

The DRAST-IV is a questionnaire that can be used to screen for drug abuse. It has been validated in clinical settings, but it’s also available as an online self-administered test. This questionnaire has been shown to be useful in adolescents and adults with substance use disorders (SUDs), although some studies have found it less effective than other tools when assessing SUDs among younger participants.

Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test

The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) is a 10-item questionnaire that can be used by health care professionals to screen for alcohol problems. It has been validated in different populations, including people with and without HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, those with pain syndromes or other medical conditions that may interfere with alcohol consumption control, individuals recovering from addictions to other substances (e.g., heroin), and those who have recently stopped drinking or are planning to stop.

Because this screening tool is not a diagnostic tool (it simply indicates whether an individual may have problems), it should only be used after an assessment has been completed by a professional trained in substance use disorders such as psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience treating these kinds of patients using clinical guidelines from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The MAST can help identify people who may need further assessment for their symptoms because they do not fit into any existing diagnostic category but instead show signs consistent with possible alcohol dependence syndrome—a condition characterized by recurrent failure at work due to impaired judgment resulting from heavy drinking over time followed by attempts at quitting when faced with cravings during stressful situations like job interviews where being sober would guarantee success instead.”

Addiction Severity Index

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that was developed by Dr. William R. Miller in 1982. The ASI has been used to assess the severity of addiction and determine if treatment is needed for patients suffering from substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

The ASI examines the frequency with which you engage in each behavior over time and compares them to those who do not display any symptoms of addiction or dependence on substances such as alcohol, drugs or tobacco products:

The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test)

The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) is a 10-question test that you can take online. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, it suggests that you have an alcohol use disorder:

• Do you feel that your alcohol use is causing problems in your life?

• Have people said they think it may be affecting your work or other important things in your life?

• Have people told others about their concerns about how much time and money they spend drinking, as well as what kind of consequences there are for not controlling drinking behavior?

The AUDIT score will be based on your answers to these questions and other information provided by the person administering the test; if their score exceeds 8 or 15 then treatment should be considered.

Takeaway:

Takeaway:

As you know, the takeaway is the most important part of any article. It should be the last thing you read and it should summarize what you just read. The takeaway can also be a call to action for readers to take action on something in their lives or work environment.

If your takeaway doesn’t help people, then it’s not useful—and if it doesn’t get readers thinking about something specific (or doing something), then there’s no point in publishing anything at all!

Conclusion

The above screening instruments have been the subject of extensive research, and we have highlighted some of the most important ones here. However, it is important to note that none of these tests are diagnostic in nature and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. If you think that you may have a substance use disorder, speak with your doctor immediately.