CAGE Assessment: A Questionnaire for Substance Abuse

For more severe cases, you may need to be admitted into a hospital or treatment center to be monitored and ensure your safety. These detoxification programs allow you to stop using substances quickly and safely. During this time, you’re gradually weaned off the substance or substances. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. In order for the alerts to be accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities, alerts will include a unique tone and vibration, FEMA said.

The CAGE questions move the discussion toward the behavioral effects of the drinking rather than toward an isolated number of drinks per day. The degree to which physicians tend to overlook alcoholism and other addictions is substantial. The purpose of the CAGE questionnaire is to assess a person’s dependency on alcohol. It is an initial step that can be taken by healthcare professionals, or it can be used as a self-assessment tool, to detect the signs of alcohol dependency. The questions on this tool consider not just the current situation of the person, but they apply to their whole life. The CAGE test for preliminary profiling is not designed for use to self-diagnose a drug or alcohol problem.

Only a small proportion of physicians integrate evaluation for alcoholism and other addictions into their standard work-up. A score of 2 to 3 indicates a high index of suspicion and a score of 4 is virtually diagnostic for alcoholism. CAGE alcohol assessment procedure was developed at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, in 1968. The staff wanted to make a quick assessment tool and make their screening procedures a lot more efficient.

A person who has 4 “yes” answers is likely to exhibit the main symptoms of alcoholism in all the main spheres of functioning. CAGE drinking assessment tool is more and more reliable and valid as the scores go up, which means that scoring 4 on this test is a good sign of chronic, pervasive alcoholism. Having a minimal score on this drug abuse screening test usually means that the interviewee isn’t an alcoholic. However, the CAGE screening tool is rather straightforward and it’s obvious what it’s about, which is why some alcoholics might lie in order to pass this test. In other words, alcoholics may dissimulate, and try to hide their disorder.

What is a positive CAGE score?

Instead, they can be used as a starting point along with the help of a qualified healthcare professional. Popular among clinicians, the CAGE questionnaire is an alcohol assessment eco sober house review tool widely used as a screening test to check for problem drinking or alcohol dependency. The CAGE questionnaire score is only the first step in diagnosing a drinking problem.

• They may follow up with more questions about your alcohol usage and consumption rates.
• But, if you find yourself consistently drinking more than you had planned or are unable to stop drinking after you start, it may be a sign of a bigger problem.
• The CAGE questionnaire should be completed during the initial assessment of a patient, even prior to asking routinely about the amounts of alcohol or illicit drugs ingested.
• Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare.
• Culture, society, and your environment are powerful factors that may cause a substance abuse problem.
• In general, the severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms is proportional to the duration of alcohol use and the amount of alcohol consumed on a daily basis during that time period.

Of these assessments, the CAGE Assessment is the shortest with only four questions. Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare. AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data. The Verified badge on our articles is a trusted sign of the most comprehensive scientifically-based medical content.

When the CAGE Questionnaire Is Used

Another instrument to assess alcohol use is The MAST-G (Blow et al., 1992), which was specifically developed for use with older adults. Questions on the instrument are all geared to life situations among older adults that may have acted as catalysts for excessive alcohol use. An example is item #20, which asks if drinking has increased after experiencing a loss. The MAST-G consists of 24 yes or no items which may take some older adults a long time to complete.

• If they determine you have an alcohol use disorder, they can ensure you get the best treatment options.
• The degree to which physicians tend to overlook alcoholism and other addictions is substantial.
• For each “Yes” answer, 1 point is added to the total score, and for each “No” answer, 0 points are added.
• The 4 questions of the CAGE assessment tool were chosen from a wider pool of substance abuse examination questions, due to their ability to discern alcoholics from non-alcoholics.
• When interpreting the CAGE for substance abuse test, you will score the “yes” answers with a 1 and the “no” answers with a 0.

Denial is a very common mental mechanism among individuals abusing alcohol or other drugs. Classic denial is an unconscious mechanism that could underlie the “ever annoyed by criticism of your drinking” question. The drinking problem is often obvious to those around the drinker but may be practically invisible to the drinker. Although the MAST and AUDIT tests may obtain more thorough information and patient history than CAGE, the CAGE questionnaire is still the preferred primary alcohol screening tool by the majority of clinicians.

You’re Experiencing Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal

The CAGE-AID assessment adds the drug component to the questionnaire, enabling it to be used to identify both alcohol and drug addiction. Do you have any questions about the CAGE substance abuse assessment tool or CAGE questions alcohol or drug focused? Do you have any questions about the CAGE alcohol assessment tool or the acronym CAGE in substance abuse? The CAGE questionnaire is a self-guided assessment that can be used as a first step in determining whether your drinking habits are cause for concern. It is used in a variety of settings, including medical practices and emergency rooms. It’s often a first-line questionnaire given to patients before other questions about substance use are asked.

Treatments for alcohol-related challenges include medications and behavioral treatments. More specifically, psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational enhancement therapy, and marital and family counseling are sometimes used. John Ewing, MD, served as a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and practiced as an addiction therapy clinician. Dr. Ewing published his research findings of the use and effectiveness of the questionnaire in 1984, but he is thought to have developed and used the tool as early as 1968. We provide innovative managed care programs in Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE Prime and employee group health plans, guided by the academic and clinical excellence of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

What Is the CAGE Assessment?

However, the CAGE questionnaire and any related tests try to fix this by removing any potential for the patient’s perceived personal judgment. These questions could detect the sixteen alcoholics from the rest of the patients. If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption and getting the treatment you need, contact Zinnia Health today to take the CAGE questionnaire and start your journey to your best self. You can also call the National Drug Abuse Hotline for further assistance and resources. If your drinking habits are starting to spiral out of control and impact other areas of your life, including work, school, home, your health, and legal issues, but you still can’t stop drinking, it’s time to seek help.

In addition to the CAGE Assessment, there are warning signs that you may have an alcohol problem. If you are struggling to quit drinking and these warning signs pertain to you, it might be time to seek help. If you or a loved one is concerned about alcohol use, consider reaching out to the experienced providers at The Recovery Village. Our team is here to guide you through the process and find the right type of care for your needs. Reach out to a treatment provider for free today for immediate assistance.

Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Do you have any questions about CAGE questions alcohol addiction scoring or the CAGE criteria for scoring? According to the American Addition Centers, the CAGE drinking assessment is best when given by a clinician, and it’s not recommended for use as a CAGE self assessment for someone to diagnose themselves. AUDIT-C is similar to the full AUDIT test, but it only takes 3 minutes to complete. A score of 4 for men and a score of 3 for women can raise suspicion of alcohol use disorder.

Treatment providers are available 24/7 to answer your questions about rehab, whether it’s for you or a loved one. Submit your number and receive a free call today from a treatment provider. Finally, there are special variants of the CAGE method, specifically modified for the assessment of https://sober-home.org/ other substance abuse disorders. The procedure has been approved by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The main variant of the CAGE screen test is used to assess alcoholism, but there is a modified version, used for the assessment of other types of substance abuse.