Question

MAST (Michigan Alcohol Screening Test) is one of the screening instruments used for alcohol/drug assessments. Can you explain me WELL about MAST? because want to understand perfectly about MAST. I also need references for it.

Answer 1

The Michigan Alcohol Screening test, also called the MAST alcohol test, is a self-scoring test that helps
determine if a person has a drinking problem. The MAST alcohol test is one of the most widely used instruments for
assessing alcohol abuse. The MAST is one of the most widely used measures for assessing alcohol abuse. The measure is a 25-item questionnaire designed to provide a rapid and effective screening for lifetime alcohol-related problems and alcoholism. The original MAST was a 25-item questionnaire. Later, the MAST was downsized to a 22-item questionnaire that not unlike the original instrument, was designed to provide a quick and accurate screening tool for identifying alcohol-related problems and alcoholism. The MAST has been productively used in a variety of settings with varied populations.

The following represents the 22 questions that make up the MAST.

Please answer YES or NO to the following questions:

1. Do you feel you are a normal drinker? (“normal” – drink as much or less than most other people)
YES or NO

2. Have you ever awakened the morning after some drinking the night before and found that you could not remember
a part of the evening? YES or NO

3. Does any near relative or close friend ever worry or complain about your drinking? YES or NO

4. Can you stop drinking without difficulty after one or two drinks?
YES or NO

5. Do you ever feel guilty about your drinking?
YES or NO

6. Have you ever attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?
YES or NO

7. Have you ever gotten into physical fights when drinking?
YES or NO

8. Has drinking ever created problems between you and a near relative or close friend?

YES or NO

9. Has any family member or close friend gone to anyone for help about your drinking?
YES or NO

10. Have you ever lost friends because of your drinking?
YES or NO

11. Have you ever gotten into trouble at work because of drinking?
YES or NO

12. Have you ever lost a job because of drinking?
YES or NO

13. Have you ever neglected your obligations, your family, or your work for two or more days in a row because
you were drinking?
YES or NO

14. Do you drink before noon fairly often?
YES or NO

15. Have you ever been told you have liver trouble such as cirrhosis?
YES or NO

16. After heavy drinking have you ever had delirium tremens (D.T.’s), severe shaking, visual or auditory
(hearing) hallucinations?
YES or NO

17. Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking?
YES or NO

18. Have you ever been hospitalized because of drinking?
YES or NO

19. Has your drinking ever resulted in your being hospitalized in a psychiatric ward?
YES or NO

20. Have you ever gone to any doctor, social worker, clergyman or mental health clinic for help with any
emotional problem in which drinking was part of the problem?
YES or NO

21. Have you been arrested more than once for driving under the influence of alcohol?
YES or NO

22. Have you ever been arrested, even for a few hours because of other behavior while drinking? YES or NO.
(If Yes, how many times ________ )

Add up the scores and compare to the following score card:

• 0 – 2 = No apparent problem
• 3 – 5 = Early or middle problem drinker
• 6 or more = Problem drinker

Why is MAST used?

MAST is used to screen a variety of populations for alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

What are advantages of MAST?

• It is a very effective way to diagnose problems with drinking.
• Cheaper
• Less time consuming
• No issues
• Questionnairs are in simple language
• Easy to understand

What are disadvantages of MAST?

There are two drawbacks to the MAST test:

• compared with other alcohol screening tests available today, the length of the test makes it less convenient to administer in a busy primary care office or emergency room setting, compared to the shorter four- or five-question tests available.
• The questions on the MAST test also focus on problems over the patient's lifetime, rather than on current problems. This means the test is less likely to detect alcohol problems in the early stages.

When is it made? How was it made?

John Fedele / Getty Images Developed in 1971, the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) is one of the oldest and most accurate alcohol screening tests available. The Michigan alcohol screening test (MAST) was first published by Professor Selzer in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1971.

REFERENCE:

Selzer ML. (1971) The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST): The quest for a new diagnostic instrument. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127:1653-1658.