Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Michigan Alcohol Screening Test

End of Life
Your Name
Department of ABC, University – Whitewater
ABC 101: Course Name
Professor (or Dr.) Firstname Lastname
Date
Experience Using Alcohol Use Disorder Tests: AUDIT & MAST
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) refers to the pattern of alcohol consumption in which individuals face problems controlling drinking. This pattern can also be described as alcoholism, involving behaviors like binge drinking and outcomes like acute withdrawal symptoms (McDonough, 2015). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that over 174 million Americans report having an alcoholic drink in the past 12 months. Of this figure, 16.3 million reported drinking heavily in the past month (NIAAA, 2023). These figures imply that many American adults are suffering from AUD. This observation shows that tools like AUDIT and MAST have been developed to diagnose AUD. In this view, the current paper discusses the user experience of these tools based on a recent interview.
MAST & AUDIT
The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) is a 25-question test for alcohol dependency. Clinicians use this test for interviewing people potentially suffering from AUD. Though the tool is not recommended for self-diagnosis, it helps establish an individual’s alcohol dependency and outcomes across topics like drinking patterns, loss of control, neglect of responsibilities, and risks associated with drinking (Minnich, Erford, Bardhoshi, & Atalay, 2018). The structure of the 25 questions is such that the interviewer answers yes or no to each question.
The alcohol Use Disorder Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening tool developed and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). At its core, the tool assesses key topics like alcohol-related problems, drinking behaviors, and drinking outcomes based on individual experience (Higgins-Biddle & Babor, 2018). The test comes in two versions: clinician-administered and self-report versions. Based on the standard drinking chart with the tool, a score of eight and above indicates the interviewee has reached a harmful level of alcohol use.
The key differences between MAST and AUDIT include the number of questions and how interviews respond to the questions. The former has 25 questions, while the latter provides 10 questions. As already mentioned, answers to MAST are limited to two options (yes & no), while AUDIT provides up to five options from which an interviewee can choose answers. Despite the difference, both tools diagnose AUD within clinical settings.
Individual Experience in the Application of Tools
Both tools were used to interview a self-reported alcoholic who has been trying to stop by attending AA meetings. The interviews were conducted online following consent from the interviewee, who insisted that they should remain anonymous. For the current discussion, the interviewee is referred to as Abel, which is not his real name.
It was easier to use MAST because the questions are short, and the options for answers are limited to two. The straightforwardness of the questions allowed Abel not to ponder for long about answers. According to Minnich, Erford, Bardhoshi, & Atalay (2018), this is a core advantage of MAST because it allows users to give out straight answers without much thought, making the answers reliable for diagnosis. Further, while using the tool, the questions did not cause Abel to flinch or shy away from explaining his experiences. On the question, for instance, which aske whether he ever lost a job because of drinking, Abel explained that several times, he went to work drunk to numb work pressure. As a result, this led to his being fired. Question 16 on the neglect of duties and responsibilities, particularly around family, caused him to be emotional, indicating that he regretted what alcohol had put him through. Though MAST had more questions, the interview took the shortest time, and Abel was confident that his answers were true and not biased. With a score of 7, the tool indicated that Abel has a serious...