DUDIT - Drug Use Disorders Identification Test
The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is a validated 11-question screening tool developed by Berman and colleagues to identify people who may have drug-related problems, including harmful use or dependence. Answer each question honestly based on your experience over the past year. Your total score and its interpretation appear instantly. This calculator is for screening purposes only and does not replace a clinical assessment.
What is the DUDIT?
The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is a validated 11-item self-report screening questionnaire developed by Berman, Bergman, Palmstierna, and Schlyter in 2005. It was designed as a drug-specific parallel to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and targets use of all drugs other than alcohol, including cannabis, stimulants, opioids, sedatives, and hallucinogens. The DUDIT has been validated in primary care, emergency, and addiction treatment settings across multiple countries and is widely used by clinicians and researchers to identify individuals who may benefit from brief intervention or more comprehensive assessment.
How the DUDIT is scored
The 11 items divide into three domains. Questions 1 to 4 cover the pattern of use: how often drugs are used, polydrug use, number of doses on a typical use day, and frequency of heavy intoxication. These four items each score 0 to 4 for a sub-total of up to 16 points. Questions 5 to 9 assess dependence symptoms: irresistible craving, inability to stop once you have started, neglecting things you should have done, morning-after use as an "eye-opener," and guilty feelings or a bad conscience. Each scores 0 to 4, giving a sub-total of up to 20 points. Questions 10 and 11 measure harm and social consequences: whether you or anyone else has been hurt because of your drug use, and whether anyone has been worried about it or told you to stop. These two items use a 0-2-4 scale (No / Yes but not over the past year / Yes over the past year) for a sub-total of up to 8 points. Total scores therefore range from 0 to 44.
Interpreting your DUDIT score
A score of zero means no drug-related problems were detected. For men, a score of 6 or more indicates probable drug-related problems (either harmful use or dependence); for women the threshold is lower at 2 or more, reflecting the different sensitivity characteristics identified in the original validation study. Regardless of sex, a score of 25 or more is strongly associated with dependence on one or more drugs: in the high-prevalence validation sample this cut-off reached 90% sensitivity for dependence under both DSM-IV and ICD-10, with specificity of 78% against DSM-IV and 88% against ICD-10. Scores are a guide, not a diagnosis: a positive screen means further evaluation by a qualified clinician is warranted.
Limitations of the DUDIT
The DUDIT relies on self-report, so results are affected by honesty and recall. It does not identify which specific substance is involved, nor does it capture the severity of harm from any single episode. It was developed in a Swedish clinical population and validated primarily in adult samples; applicability to adolescents or populations very different from the validation cohort may be limited. A positive screen is not a diagnosis of a substance use disorder: DSM-5 criteria require a structured clinical interview. The DUDIT is best used as a first step to identify who should receive a more thorough assessment, not as a standalone diagnostic tool.
DUDIT score interpretation
| Score range | Men | Women | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | Below threshold | Below threshold | No drug-related problems detected |
| 2-5 | Below threshold | Screen positive | Women: drug-related problems likely |
| 6-24 | Screen positive | Screen positive | Drug-related problems likely (both sexes) |
| 25-44 | Screen positive | Screen positive | Probable drug dependence (both sexes) |
Cut-off scores from the DUDIT manual (Berman, Bergman, Palmstierna and Schlyter, Karolinska Institutet 2003). The sex-specific cut-offs sit two standard deviations above the mean score for each sex in a Swedish general-population sample.
Frequently asked questions
What does a DUDIT score of 0 mean?
A score of 0 means you answered "never" or "no" to all 11 questions, which indicates no drug-related problems detected by this screening tool. It does not necessarily mean your drug use is zero, but it does suggest your use pattern, if any, does not currently meet the threshold for concern according to the DUDIT.
Why is the threshold different for men and women?
The DUDIT manual placed each cut-off two standard deviations above the mean DUDIT score for that sex in a random sample of 1,500 people from the Swedish general population. Because women in that sample scored lower on average, two standard deviations above their mean lands at 2 points, while for men it lands at 6. The authors describe these cut-offs as preliminary and note the DUDIT has not been separately validated in every setting.
What score indicates drug dependence?
A score of 25 or more, regardless of sex, is considered strongly indicative of dependence on one or more drugs. In the high-prevalence validation sample, this cut-off gave 90% sensitivity for dependence under both DSM-IV and ICD-10, with specificity of 78% against DSM-IV and 88% against ICD-10. If your score is 25 or above, a comprehensive clinical assessment is strongly recommended.
Does a positive DUDIT screen mean I am addicted?
No. A positive screen means your score is above the threshold that suggests drug-related problems are likely. It is a flag for further evaluation, not a diagnosis. A formal diagnosis of a substance use disorder requires a structured clinical interview using criteria from DSM-5 or ICD-11, carried out by a qualified health professional.
Which drugs does the DUDIT cover?
The DUDIT covers all drugs other than alcohol, including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and other stimulants, opioids (heroin, prescription painkillers), benzodiazepines and sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, and any other psychoactive substances. It does not assess tobacco or alcohol use; those are covered by separate validated tools (FTND and AUDIT, respectively).
Is the DUDIT accurate?
The DUDIT has solid psychometric properties. The original validation reported a Cronbach's alpha of 0.80, and a 2015 review of 18 studies found internal consistency above 0.90 across populations. At the 25-point cut-off, sensitivity for drug dependence was 90% under both DSM-IV and ICD-10, with specificity of 78% and 88% respectively. For identifying any drug-related problem (harmful use or dependence combined), performance varies by setting and population, which is why clinical judgment should accompany the score.
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(1):22-31.
- Berman AH, Bergman H, Palmstierna T, Schlyter F. DUDIT: The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test - MANUAL. Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, 2003 (item wording and scoring).
- Hildebrand M. The Psychometric Properties of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT): A Review of Recent Research. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2015;53:52-59.