TABLE 2

Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test—Geriatric Version (SMAST-G)

Please answer yes or no to the following questions:

  1. When talking with others, do you ever underestimate how much you drink?

  2. After a few drinks, have you sometimes not eaten or been able to skip a meal because you didn’t feel hungry?

  3. Does having a few drinks help decrease your shakiness or tremors?

  4. Does alcohol sometimes make it hard for you to remember parts of the day or night?

  5. Do you usually take a drink to relax or calm your nerves?

  6. Do you drink to take your mind off your problems?

  7. Have you ever increased your drinking after experiencing a loss in your life?

  8. Has a doctor or nurse ever said they were worried or concerned about your drinking?

  9. Have you ever made rules to manage your drinking?

  10. When you feel lonely, does having a drink help?

Extra question (asked, but not calculated in the final score): Do you drink alcohol and take mood or mind-altering drugs, including prescription tranquilizers, prescription sleeping pills, prescription pain pills, or any illicit drugs?
Scoring: 1 point for each “yes” answer, and total the responses. A score of 2 or more points indicates an alcohol problem, and a brief intervention should be conducted.

  • Adapted from reference 17.