Detecting Problem Drinking

Brief screening instruments have been proven useful for detecting risky drinking in primary care settings. The use of these instruments is uncommon in psychiatry clinics, although psychiatrists are more likely than other physicians to diagnose and treat alcohol abuse and dependence in their patients. In a study investigating whether screening instruments can further improve psychiatrists’ detection of alcohol-use disorders, 50 patients presenting to an outpatient psychiatry clinic underwent two brief alcohol consumption screens, a clinician intake interview, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Diagnoses (SCID). The screening tests were the T-ACE (Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut down, Eye-opener) and the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identi…