DUDIT Calculator (Drug Use Disorders Identification Test score)

Understanding the DUDIT calculator — concept and principle

The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is an 11-question screening questionnaire about the use of drugs other than alcohol. It was developed in Sweden as a companion to the WHO AUDIT. People use it to check their own use privately, and clinics use it as a quick first screen before a fuller assessment.

How it is calculated

DUDIT score = sum of the 11 answers (0–44)

• Questions 1–9 score 0–4, from "not at all" to the most frequent answer.
• Questions 10 and 11 score 0 (no), 2 (yes, but not in the past year) or 4 (yes, during the past year).
• The positive cut-off depends on sex: 6 or more for men, 2 or more for women.
• A score of 25 or more in either sex suggests probable dependence.

"Drugs" means illegal drugs and prescription medicines used more often, in larger amounts or for other reasons than prescribed. The questions on the page are in the site's own words.

The principle

The questions cover three areas: how often and how much you use (1–4), signs of dependence such as craving, loss of control and morning use (5–8), and harm such as guilt, injury and others' concern (9–11). Each answer adds points in proportion to how often or how seriously the problem occurs. The cut-offs came from validation studies comparing scores with clinical diagnoses. Women reach drug-related problems at lower scores in those data, so their cut-off is lower.

Worked example

Default inputs: male; Q1 once a month or less (1); Q3 1–2 times (1); Q9 less often than once a month (1); all other answers 0.

1. Score = 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 0 = 3.
2. Cut-off for men = 6. 3 is below 6, so the screening result is Negative.
3. 3 is below 25, so probable dependence is No.

How to read the result

A negative result means the answers do not suggest drug-related problems at present. A positive result means drug use is probably causing problems and is worth discussing with a doctor or counsellor. A score of 25 or more points to likely dependence, and getting help is important. Screening scores are honest only if the answers are.

Common mistakes

• Leaving out prescription medicines that are misused, such as sleeping pills or painkillers taken in larger amounts.
• Counting alcohol. DUDIT is for other drugs; use AUDIT for alcohol.
• Using the men's cut-off for women.
• Treating a negative result as proof that use is safe.

Frequently asked questions

Is DUDIT used for cannabis?

Yes. Cannabis counts as a drug other than alcohol and is included in all the questions.

What time period do the questions cover?

Most questions ask about your current pattern or the past year; questions 10 and 11 also count events before the past year.

Sources: Berman AH, Bergman H, Palmstierna T, Schlyter F, "Evaluation of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) in criminal justice and detoxification settings and in a Swedish population sample", Eur Addict Res 2005;11:22–31 · HSE (Ireland), DUDIT form and scoring