Addiction Medicine Certification Addiction Medicine Screening & Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The CRAFFT screening tool is specifically validated for use in which population?
- Pregnant women
- Older adults over 65
- Adolescents under 21 (Correct answer)
- First responders
Correct answer: Adolescents under 21
The CRAFFT questionnaire was developed and validated to screen for substance use disorders in adolescents and young adults under 21.
Question 2: During a substance use evaluation, a patient denies use despite objective evidence. This most likely reflects which psychological concept?
- Projection
- Denial (Correct answer)
- Displacement
- Rationalization
Correct answer: Denial
Denial is the defense mechanism most commonly associated with substance use disorders, in which patients refuse to acknowledge problematic use despite evidence.
Question 3: Which of the following is a DSM-5 criterion for Alcohol Use Disorder specifically related to time investment?
- Drinking in situations that are physically hazardous
- Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, or recovering from alcohol (Correct answer)
- Continued use despite social problems
- Tolerance requiring increased amounts
Correct answer: Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, or recovering from alcohol
DSM-5 criterion 5 for AUD specifically addresses spending a great deal of time in activities necessary to obtain, use, or recover from alcohol.
Question 4: The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) assesses problem severity across how many life domains?
- 3
- 5
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 10
Correct answer: 7
The ASI evaluates seven life domains: medical, employment, alcohol, drug, legal, family/social, and psychiatric status.
Question 5: A clinician uses reflective listening and avoids argumentation during a patient interview. This approach best reflects which therapeutic framework?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing (Correct answer)
- Contingency Management
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Correct answer: Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing (MI) emphasizes reflective listening, empathy, and avoiding direct confrontation to elicit the patient's own motivation for change.
Question 6: Which biomarker has the longest detection window for chronic heavy alcohol consumption?
- Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
- Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)
- Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) (Correct answer)
- Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)
Correct answer: Phosphatidylethanol (PEth)
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can detect heavy alcohol use for up to 3–4 weeks, giving it the longest detection window among common biomarkers.
Question 7: In screening older adults for alcohol misuse, which tool is specifically recommended due to its age-appropriate questions?
- CAGE
- AUDIT
- SMAST-G (Correct answer)
- DAST-10
Correct answer: SMAST-G
The Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test–Geriatric Version (SMAST-G) is designed for older adults and includes questions relevant to their life context.
Addiction Medicine Certification Addiction Medicine Screening & Evaluation 3
The CRAFFT screening tool is specifically validated for use in which population?