Screening for Alcohol Use Patterns Among Methadone Maintenance Patients

Abstract

Alcohol use among Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) patients poses a major health risk, exacerbates psychopathology, and increases the risk of death by accidental overdose. Despite these factors, screening for alcohol use remains underutilized in the methadone community. Utilizing a self-report screening measure—the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST)—and consistent with the literature, we found high rates of alcohol problems among MMT patients. Benefits and limitations of using the MAST to screen for alcohol use patterns are discussed.