CAGE Questionnaire

CAGE Questionnaire used in psychology are essential tools for clinical and research assessments. This post is based on dissertations submitted by students during their academic programs. At ‘Mental Health,’ we arrange and provide these resources to you. Here is the complete list of resources (Click Here). To access these materials, click on the ‘Avail File’ section below.”

About CAGE Questionnaire

The CAGE Questionnaire (CAGE) is a brief, four-question screening tool designed to identify potential alcohol abuse or dependence. Developed by John A. Ewing in 1984, CAGE stands for Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener, which are the core components of the questions. This tool is widely used in both clinical and general settings due to its simplicity and effectiveness in quickly identifying individuals who may have alcohol-related problems.

The CAGE Questionnaire is not a diagnostic tool but is highly valuable as a screening measure to prompt further evaluation. Its primary strength lies in its ability to be administered quickly, making it suitable for various settings, from medical offices to community programs.

Purpose of the Tool

The CAGE Questionnaire serves several important purposes:

Screening for Alcohol Problems: It is used as a first-step screening tool to identify individuals who may be at risk for alcohol dependence or misuse.
Guiding Further Assessment: A positive result on the CAGE typically prompts more in-depth evaluations using other diagnostic tools.
Rapid Implementation: Its brevity and ease of administration make it ideal for use in fast-paced environments, such as emergency rooms or general practitioners’ offices.

Structure of the Tool

The CAGE Questionnaire consists of four yes/no questions designed to elicit information about a person’s drinking habits and their associated feelings or experiences. These questions are:

C: Have you ever felt that you should cut down on your drinking?
A: Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
G: Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
E: Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye-opener)?

Each “yes” answer is scored as 1 point, and a total score of 2 or more is typically considered clinically significant, indicating the need for further assessment of potential alcohol problems.

Psychometric Properties

The CAGE Questionnaire has been widely researched and validated, particularly for its use in detecting alcohol-related disorders.

Internal Consistency: The CAGE has shown moderate internal consistency, with studies reporting Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.70 to 0.85. This means that the questions are reasonably correlated and measure the same underlying construct.
Test-Retest Reliability: The questionnaire has demonstrated good reliability over time, with individuals providing consistent answers across different administrations.
Construct Validity: The CAGE correlates well with other established measures of alcohol dependence and misuse, such as the AUDIT and Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), indicating strong construct validity.
Predictive Validity: Studies have shown that the CAGE is effective in predicting the likelihood of alcohol dependence, with a sensitivity of around 75-85% and specificity of 80-90% in various populations.

References

Ewing, J. A. (1984). Detecting alcoholism: The CAGE Questionnaire. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 252, 1905-1907.
Bernadt, M. W., Mumford, J., Taylor, C., Smith, B., & Murray, R. M. (1982). Comparison of questionnaire and laboratory tests in the detection of excessive drinking and alcoholism. Lancet, 6(8267), 325-328.
Bradley, K. A., Kivlahan, D. R., Bush, K. R., McDonell, M. B., & Fihn, S. D. (2001). Variations on the CAGE Alcohol Screening Questionnaire: Strengths and limitations in VA general medical patients.

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CAGE Questionnaire