CDCA Assessment & Diagnosis of SUD 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) assesses functioning across how many life domains?
- 4
- 5
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 9
Correct answer: 7
The ASI evaluates seven life domains: medical, employment, alcohol use, drug use, legal, family/social, and psychiatric status.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'specifiers' in DSM-5 SUD diagnoses?
- They indicate the substance class involved
- They describe course characteristics like early remission or sustained remission (Correct answer)
- They rate the level of family involvement
- They classify co-occurring mental disorders
Correct answer: They describe course characteristics like early remission or sustained remission
DSM-5 specifiers for SUD describe the course of the disorder, such as 'in early remission' (3-12 months) or 'in sustained remission' (12+ months).
Question 3: A counselor notices a client becomes irritable and anxious 24 hours after their last drink. What is the clinical term for this phenomenon?
- Tolerance
- Craving
- Withdrawal (Correct answer)
- Rebound effect
Correct answer: Withdrawal
Withdrawal refers to characteristic physical and psychological symptoms that emerge when a regularly used substance is reduced or stopped.
Question 4: Which screening instrument uses a 10-item questionnaire and is primarily used to identify problematic drug use (excluding alcohol)?
- AUDIT
- CAGE
- DAST-10 (Correct answer)
- PHQ-9
Correct answer: DAST-10
The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) is a 10-item self-report tool designed to identify problems related to drug misuse, not including alcohol.
Question 5: During a clinical interview, a client admits they have tried unsuccessfully to cut back on opioid use multiple times. Which DSM-5 SUD criterion does this reflect?
- Hazardous use
- Persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down (Correct answer)
- Withdrawal
- Social impairment
Correct answer: Persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down
Persistent desire or repeated unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use is one of the 11 DSM-5 criteria for SUD.
Question 6: Which of the following is a key principle of motivational interviewing used during the assessment process?
- Confronting denial directly
- Expressing empathy through reflective listening (Correct answer)
- Diagnosing the client early in session
- Focusing on consequences of past use
Correct answer: Expressing empathy through reflective listening
Motivational interviewing emphasizes expressing empathy through reflective listening to build rapport and explore ambivalence without confrontation.
Question 7: When a client's substance use has resulted in repeated absences from work and neglect of major role obligations, which DSM-5 SUD criterion is being met?
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
- Recurrent use resulting in failure to fulfill major role obligations (Correct answer)
- Craving
Correct answer: Recurrent use resulting in failure to fulfill major role obligations
Recurrent use resulting in failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home is one of the social impairment criteria in DSM-5.
CDCA Assessment & Diagnosis of SUD 3
The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) assesses functioning across how many life domains?