CAT Addiction Technician Screening and Diagnosis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which screening tool uses a single question — 'How many times in the past year have you used an illegal drug or used a prescription medication for nonmedical reasons?' — as its primary item?
- AUDIT-C
- DAST-10
- Single-Question Screening Test (SQST) (Correct answer)
- CRAFFT
Correct answer: Single-Question Screening Test (SQST)
The Single-Question Screening Test (SQST) uses one item to identify drug use and has demonstrated high sensitivity in primary care settings.
Question 2: A client scores 8 or higher on the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). This score indicates:
- Abstinence from alcohol
- Low-risk drinking only
- Hazardous or harmful alcohol use warranting further assessment (Correct answer)
- End-stage alcohol use disorder
Correct answer: Hazardous or harmful alcohol use warranting further assessment
An AUDIT score of 8 or above is the standard cutoff indicating hazardous or harmful alcohol use that requires further clinical assessment.
Question 3: The DSM-5 diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder requires at least how many of the 11 diagnostic criteria to be met within a 12-month period for a 'mild' diagnosis?
- 1
- 2 (Correct answer)
- 4
- 6
Correct answer: 2
DSM-5 requires 2–3 criteria for mild, 4–5 for moderate, and 6 or more for severe Substance Use Disorder.
Question 4: During a brief screening, a client admits to driving after drinking several times in the past month. Under DSM-5, this behavior most directly reflects which SUD criterion?
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
- Recurrent use in physically hazardous situations (Correct answer)
- Unsuccessful efforts to cut down
Correct answer: Recurrent use in physically hazardous situations
Driving under the influence exemplifies the DSM-5 criterion of recurrent use in physically hazardous situations.
Question 5: Which instrument is specifically designed to screen for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care and consists of only three questions about frequency, quantity, and binge drinking?
- MAST
- AUDIT-C (Correct answer)
- CAGE
- DAST-20
Correct answer: AUDIT-C
The AUDIT-C is a three-item abbreviated version of the AUDIT focused on consumption patterns and is widely used in primary care.
Question 6: A client reports that family members have expressed concern about their drinking, that they have tried to cut down without success, and that they feel guilty after drinking. Which screening tool is these responses most consistent with?
- AUDIT
- DAST-10
- CAGE (Correct answer)
- SASSSI
Correct answer: CAGE
The CAGE questionnaire screens for alcohol problems using four items: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener.
Question 7: In addiction screening, the term 'false negative' refers to:
- A client who tests positive but is not using substances
- A screening tool that over-detects substance use
- A client with a substance use problem who screens negative (Correct answer)
- A positive urine drug screen later voided by the lab
Correct answer: A client with a substance use problem who screens negative
A false negative occurs when a person who actually has a substance use problem receives a negative (non-detected) screening result.
CAT Addiction Technician Screening and Diagnosis 2
Which screening tool uses a single question — 'How many times in the past year have you used an illegal drug or used a prescription medication for nonmedical reasons?' — as its primary item?