Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test
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The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, MAST screening tool was developed in 1971 and is one of the oldest alcoholism screening tests in identifying dependent drinkers.[1] Its use is constructed for the general population. There are other versions of the MAST screening tool, all of which can be self-administered or via interview with someone who is trained in the tool being used. All of the MAST screening tools are scored on a point scale system.[2] As stated on the Project Cork website[2] there are 25 questions to the “MAST” screening tool. The benefits and shortcomings are closely tied to this screening tool. The length of the screening tool makes administering it inconvenient in many busy primary health care settings along with emergency room settings. As well the tool mainly focuses on the patient’s problems throughout their lifetime rather than the problems the patient is currently showing signs of.[1] The questions throughout the screening tool operate in the past tense, which means that it is less likely to detect any problems with alcohol in its early stages according to Buddy, T.[1] The extended questioning is a benefit in a sense that you accomplish a bit of the assessment section when conducting the screening; furthermore, allowing the individual who is conducting the screening to achieve better communication and rapport with the client. The MAST-G screening tool is directed towards screening geriatric clients. With the MAST-G tool there is a set of 24 questions rather than the previous 25 questions as in the “MAST” tool. There has always been an underlying question as to the sensitivity and reliability when questioning geriatric clients.[3] The Brief MAST tool is much shorter than the previous and contains only 10 questions. There is also the Short-MAST tool similar to the brief; however, contains 13 questions. The final version is the Short-MAST-G tool, which is the short geriatric screening tool containing only 10 questions, according to.[4] Which tool to use is predicted by the screener who is a trained individual, wherein there is no one specific tool for such screening and is basically conducted on a trial and error basis.
