cage_alcohol_screen: CAGE Questions for Alcohol Use

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

CAGE Questions for Alcohol Use

Description

Calculates the score for the CAGE questionnaire, a widely used screening tool for detecting alcohol dependence and abuse. The acronym is derived from the four questions: Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener. Two or more "Yes" answers typically indicate a positive screen requiring further assessment.

Usage

cage_alcohol_screen(cut_down, annoyed, guilty, eye_opener)

Arguments

cut_down	Numeric (0 or 1). Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking? (1 = Yes).
annoyed	Numeric (0 or 1). Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? (1 = Yes).
guilty	Numeric (0 or 1). Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking? (1 = Yes).
eye_opener	Numeric (0 or 1). Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye-opener)? (1 = Yes).

Value

A list containing:

CAGE_Score	The calculated total score (Range 0-4).
Screen_Result	"Positive Screen" (Score >= 2) or "Negative Screen".
Interpretation	Clinical guidance regarding the likelihood of alcohol dependence.

References

Ewing JA. Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire. JAMA. 1984;252(14):1905-1907. doi:10.1001/jama.252.14.1905

Examples

# Example 1: Positive Screen
# Felt need to cut down (1), Annoyed by criticism (1), No guilt (0), No eye opener (0)
# Score = 2
cage_alcohol_screen(1, 1, 0, 0)

# Example 2: Negative Screen
# No affirmative answers
# Score = 0
cage_alcohol_screen(0, 0, 0, 0)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.