Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test [MAST]

Instrument Description

The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) is a screening instrument associated with the assessment of problematic behaviors related to alcohol consumption. The material provided identifies Selzer (1971) in connection with the instrument and subsequently presents an adolescent version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test.

The adolescent version included in the available material uses wording referring to both drinking and substance use, thereby extending the scope of the questions to behaviors associated with alcohol and other substance use.

The questions examine several aspects of an individual’s behavior and experience, including perceptions of whether their drinking or substance use is normal, episodes of memory loss, concerns expressed by family members or significant others, ability to control or stop drinking or substance use, and possible negative consequences.

Objective

The primary objective of the instrument is the systematic assessment of behaviors and experiences that may be associated with problematic alcohol consumption or, in the adolescent version included in the available material, substance use.

The questions examine both the respondent’s own perception of their drinking or substance-use behavior and possible indicators of negative consequences in everyday and interpersonal functioning.

As a screening instrument, it may contribute to the identification of individuals whose responses suggest a need for more comprehensive assessment. Its results should not, however, be interpreted independently as a definitive clinical diagnosis.

Assessment Dimensions

Based on the questions contained in the available material, the instrument examines several relevant areas:

Perception of Drinking or Substance Use: explores whether respondents consider themselves to be normal drinkers or users.

Memory Loss: examines whether respondents have experienced episodes in which they were unable to remember part of the previous evening following drinking or substance use.

Concerns of Family Members and Significant Others: assesses whether relatives or significant others have expressed concern or complained about the respondent’s drinking or substance use.

Behavioral Control: examines the individual’s perceived ability to stop drinking or using substances when desired.

Emotional Consequences: explores whether respondents experience negative feelings regarding their drinking or substance use.

Social and Behavioral Consequences: includes questions concerning involvement in fights while drinking or using substances.

Seeking Support: the available version also asks about previous attendance at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

Scoring

The available document presents questions from the adolescent version; however, it does not provide specific numerical scoring instructions, reverse-scoring procedures, total-score calculations, or interpretation cut-off values.

Therefore, a specific scoring system cannot be reliably established solely from the material provided.

When administering the instrument, the scoring procedure corresponding to the specific version being used should be followed. This is particularly important because the available document refers to an adolescent adaptation and uses combined wording related to both drinking and substance use.

Data Analysis

Analysis of the responses may focus on identifying the presence or absence of the behaviors and experiences assessed by the individual questions.

In research settings, frequencies and percentages may be calculated for individual responses. When a documented scoring procedure is available for the specific version being administered, the corresponding scores may also be calculated and analyzed.

Responses may additionally be examined in relation to sociodemographic or other study variables, depending on the objectives and methodological design of the research.

Applications

The MAST and its adapted forms can be used for the structured screening of behaviors associated with alcohol consumption.

In the adolescent version presented in the available document, the questions refer simultaneously to drinking and substance use, suggesting that this particular material is intended to address a broader range of alcohol- and substance-related behaviors.

The use of a screening instrument may help identify individuals for whom further assessment could be appropriate. Results should not be interpreted in isolation as evidence of alcohol or substance dependence or another clinical disorder.

Note on the Specific Version

The available document initially identifies the instrument as the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test – Selzer, 1971 and subsequently introduces an Adolescent Version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test.

Therefore, when presenting or publishing this material, it is important to clearly specify whether the content refers to the original Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) or to the particular adolescent adaptation included in the source document.

References

Selzer, M. L. (1971). The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test.

The source document also provides an online reference concerning an adolescent version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. However, it does not provide a complete bibliographic citation for that source. Therefore, the corresponding publication should be fully identified and verified before being included as a formal scientific reference.