audit 2: | Psychology

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auditresponse.docx Michelle Blankenship posted Jan 26, 2025 4:35 PM Subscribe      The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and AUDIT-C (AUDIT-Consumption) are both designed to assess alcohol use and identify individuals at risk for alcohol use disorder.      The full AUDIT consists of 10 items, covering a broad spectrum of alcohol use behaviors and consequences. It takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. It assesses not only the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption but also alcohol-related harm and dependence symptoms (Babor et al., 2021). It provides a more complete picture of the patient’s alcohol use and related problems, helping to identify not only hazardous drinking but also alcohol dependence and associated harm (Babor et al., 2021).      The AUDIT is well-suited for comprehensive assessments in settings where there is more time available. It is effective in identifying individuals at risk for alcohol use disorders, including those with more severe symptoms of alcohol dependence. In addition, it helps to detect alcohol-related problems that may be affecting mental health, such as alcohol-related anxiety, depression, or social issues (Fleming et al., 2021).      AUDIT-C, by contrast, is a shortened version consisting of only three questions that focus on the frequency of alcohol consumption, quantity consumed on a typical drinking day, and frequency of binge drinking episodes. It typically only takes less than two minutes to complete, which is ideal for initial screenings in settings where time is limited (Bradley et al., 2021). While it doesn’t assess alcohol-related harm or dependence, it provides a quick snapshot of whether a person is engaging in risky drinking behaviors.       The AUDIT-C is usually completed in primary care and urgent care, where time is limited. It is a useful tool for early detection of individuals at risk for alcohol use disorders, particularly for those whose drinking habits may lead to problems in the future. While it is effective for identifying risky drinkers, it does not assess the full range of alcohol-related problems, so a high score typically warrants further assessment (Fleming et al., 2021).       Both the AUDIT and AUDIT-C are essential tools in clinical practice, but they serve different purposes. The AUDIT is a more detailed, comprehensive tool that is suited for in-depth assessments of alcohol use and its impact, making it ideal for diagnosing alcohol use disorders and associated harm. The AUDIT-C offers a quick, efficient screening tool for identifying risk drinking behaviors, particularly useful in busy clinical settings where time is limited.  SECOND RESPONSE: Vanessa Vinci posted Jan 25, 2025 11:12 PM Subscribe             The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its abbreviated version, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C) are psychometrically sound screening tools that can be used to identify hazardous alcohol consumption. The full AUDIT is a 10-item screening questionnaire that comes in a clinician-administered version and a self-report version that assesses three domains: a) quantity and pattern of consumption to identify hazardous drinking associated with risky behaviors (questions 1-3), b) alcohol dependence  (questions 4-6), and c) harmful alcohol use associated with likelihood of causing harm to self or others (questions 7-10) (Chen et al., 2024). As opposed to the full AUDIT, the AUDIT-C is a 3-item self-report questionnaire that solely assesses quantity and pattern of consumption.              Although the full AUDIT is more comprehensive and is more effective at identifying alcohol abuse and dependence, the AUDIT-C is more time efficient and less cumbersome for patients to fill out at each visit which makes it a more practical tool to be implemented in the primary care setting. Furthermore, since AUDIT-C has been found to be more accurate at identifying heavy drinkers as opposed to the full AUDIT, it would be most efficient for AUDIT-C to be administered universally with the 7 remaining AUDIT questions being administered only to those who screen positive on the AUDIT-C with a score of 5 or greater for both men and women (Higgins-Biddle & Babor, 2019; Lembke et al., 2011).             In the event a patient screens positive on the AUDIT-C and requires further evaluation, the score provided by the completed full AUDIT questionnaire can be used to help guide treatment decisions. The four scoring zones and recommended treatment plans outlined by the AUDIT manual include: a) Zone 1: 0-7, low risk; b) Zone 2: 8-15, medium level alcohol problems-patients should be given advice regarding their alcohol consumption; c) Zone 3: 16-19, high level alcohol problems- brief counseling interventions in addition to continued monitoring of alcohol use is recommended; and d) Zone 4: 20-40,  referral to a specialist is indicated for evaluation alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder (Chen et al., 2024). Although the full AUDIT tool cannot be used to definitively diagnose alcohol use disorder, research suggests that a score greater than 8 is strongly correlated with a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder which makes it a useful tool to use as part of a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment (Chen et al., 2024).