Brief Description
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify people who may have hazardous or harmful patterns of alcohol consumption or who may be at risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). It inquires about the three key domains of: alcohol intake; potential dependence on alcohol; and experience of alcohol-related harm. Respondents rate how often they use alcohol according to the descriptions listed (e.g., “How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?”) on a scale from “Never” to “4 or more times a week”.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report (can also be clinician-administered)
Number of questions
10
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
The AUDIT is widely used as screening measure (typically yearly); it can be used more frequently (e.g., monthly) during treatment as clinically indicated.
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The AUDIT contains 10 questions. The first 8 questions are scored on a 5-point Likert scale with values from 0 (“Never”) to 4 (“4 or more times a week”); note question 2 ranges from 0 (“1 or 2”) to 4 (“10 or more”). Questions 9 and 10 are scored on a 3-point Likert-type ordinal scale with values of 0 (“No”), 2 (“Yes, but not in the last year”), and 4 (“Yes, during the last year”). A total score is calculated by summing the item responses and ranges from 0 to 40; higher scores are associated with higher levels of, or more severe, problems with alcohol. See table below for score interpretations.
Score | Interpretation |
0 | Abstainer (no alcohol problems) |
1-7 | Low-risk consumption |
8-14 | Hazardous or harmful consumption |
15+ | Likelihood of alcohol dependence (moderate-severe alcohol use disorder |
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; thus subscale scores are not included in Blueprint. See table below for subscales and associated item numbers.
Subscale | Items |
Likelihood of hazardous health impacts | 1, 2, 3 |
Dependence symptoms | 4, 5, 6 |
Behavioral or social problems as a result of use | 7, 8, 9, 10 |
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 2-3 minutes
There is also an AUDIT for adolescents, ages 12-19, called the AUDIT-C; this can be found on Blueprint.
The AUDIT differs from other self-report screening tests in that it was based on data collected from a large multinational sample, used a statistical rationale for item selection, emphasizes identification of hazardous drinking rather than long-term dependence and adverse drinking consequences, and focuses primarily on symptoms occurring during the recent past rather than “ever.”
The AUDIT has extremely strong credentials as an international instrument.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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