LCDC Clinical Evaluation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which instrument is most commonly used to screen for alcohol use disorder severity in the US?
- AUDIT (Correct answer)
- CAGE
- DAST-10
- ASI
Correct answer: AUDIT
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is the WHO-endorsed standard screening tool for alcohol use disorder severity.
Question 2: The ASAM criteria are primarily used to determine:
- Appropriate level of care for substance use treatment (Correct answer)
- Severity of withdrawal symptoms
- Eligibility for Medicaid coverage
- Length of inpatient stay
Correct answer: Appropriate level of care for substance use treatment
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria provide a standardized framework for matching patients to the most appropriate level of care.
Question 3: During a biopsychosocial assessment, which domain is the counselor exploring when asking about a client's employment history?
- Social/environmental (Correct answer)
- Biological
- Psychological
- Spiritual
Correct answer: Social/environmental
Employment history falls within the social/environmental domain of a biopsychosocial assessment.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI)?
- To assess problem severity across multiple life areas (Correct answer)
- To diagnose substance use disorders
- To screen for co-occurring mental health disorders
- To measure treatment motivation
Correct answer: To assess problem severity across multiple life areas
The ASI is a semi-structured interview that evaluates problem severity across seven domains including medical, legal, employment, and substance use.
Question 5: A client reports using opioids daily for two years and experiencing sweating and anxiety when attempting to stop. This is best described as:
- Physical dependence with withdrawal symptoms (Correct answer)
- Psychological craving only
- Tolerance without dependence
- Substance-induced anxiety disorder
Correct answer: Physical dependence with withdrawal symptoms
Daily opioid use with physical symptoms upon cessation indicates physiological dependence and withdrawal.
Question 6: Which DSM-5 criterion distinguishes between mild, moderate, and severe Substance Use Disorder?
- Number of criteria met (2–3 mild, 4–5 moderate, 6+ severe) (Correct answer)
- Duration of substance use
- Type of substance used
- Presence of withdrawal symptoms
Correct answer: Number of criteria met (2–3 mild, 4–5 moderate, 6+ severe)
DSM-5 uses the number of diagnostic criteria met within a 12-month period to specify mild (2–3), moderate (4–5), or severe (6+) SUD.
LCDC Clinical Evaluation 1
Which instrument is most commonly used to screen for alcohol use disorder severity in the US?