What is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)?

The AUDIT is a 10-item screening questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify persons with hazardous and harmful patterns of alcohol consumption.

Who developed the AUDIT and when?

Developed by the WHO in 1982 and published in its final form in 1989. It was created as part of a WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption.

What type of assessment is the AUDIT?

It is a brief self-report screening questionnaire that can also be administered by healthcare providers.

What does the AUDIT assess?

• Alcohol Consumption: Frequency and quantity of drinking (Items 1-3)
• Drinking Behaviors: Dependence symptoms and loss of control (Items 4-6)
• Adverse Consequences: Alcohol-related problems and harm (Items 7-10)

How is the AUDIT scored?

Each item is scored from 0-4, with total scores ranging from 0-40. Different scoring patterns help identify various levels of alcohol-related risk.

What are the score interpretations?

• 0-7: Low risk
• 8-15: Hazardous use
• 16-19: Harmful use
• 20+: Possible dependence

What are the strengths of the AUDIT?

Internationally validated, brief and easy to use, detects early stages of problematic drinking, widely accepted in healthcare.

What are the applications?

Primary care screening, emergency departments, mental health settings, research, population health monitoring.