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Alcohol, tobacco and other substances

Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ)

Professional instrument reference.

Reference information · Questionnaire
Last content update
2026-10-26
Clinical review
Not independently reviewed
Source jurisdiction
See individual sources
Coverage
Questionnaire
What changed in this edition
FieldInstrument context
VersionCASAA Research Division SADQ, Revised5/95; twenty items with original alcohol-unit wording
PopulationAdults describing a typical recent heavy-drinking period
RespondentAdult self-report with clinician interpretation
Assessment tool

First of all, recall a recent month when you were drinking heavily in a way which, for you, was fairly typical of a heavy drinking period. Record the month and year in the clinical record before rating. During this time and during other periods when your drinking was similar, how often did you experience the feelings listed below? Please reply to each statement by selecting the most accurate answer. Please answer every question. Questions1–4 concern physical symptoms experienced first thing in the morning during these typical periods of heavy drinking. Questions5–8 concern moods and states of mind first thing in the morning during these periods. Questions9–16 also refer to the same recent period and periods like it. For questions17–20, IMAGINE the following situation: (1) You have COMPLETELY ABSTAINED FROM ALCOHOL for a FEW WEEKS. (2) You then drink VERY HEAVILY for TWO DAYS. How would you feel the morning after those two days of heavy drinking? This is a hypothetical question, not an instruction to drink. Original source alcohol amounts and units are retained; no local conversion or adaptation has been substituted.

01 During a heavy drinking period, I wake up feeling sweaty.
02 During a heavy drinking period, my hands shake first thing in the morning.
03 During a heavy drinking period, my whole body shakes violently first thing in the morning if I don't have a drink.
04 During a heavy drinking period, I wake up absolutely drenched in sweat.
05 When I'm drinking heavily, I dread waking up in the morning.
06 During a heavy drinking period, I am frightened of meeting people first thing in the morning.
07 During a heavy drinking period, I feel at the edge of despair when I awaken.
08 During a heavy drinking period, I feel very frightened when I awaken.
09 During a heavy drinking period, I like to have a morning drink.
10 During a heavy drinking period, I gulp my first few morning drinks down as quickly as possible.
11 During a heavy drinking period, I drink in the morning to get rid of the shakes.
12 During a heavy drinking period, I have a very strong craving for a drink when I awaken.
13 During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than a quarter of a bottle of spirits per day (4 doubles, or 1 bottle of wine, or 6 beers)
14 During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than half a bottle of spirits per day (or 2 bottles of wine, or 12 beers)
15 During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than one bottle of spirits per day (or 1 gallon of wine, or 24 beers)
16 During a heavy drinking period, I drink more than two bottles of spirits per day (or 2 gallons of wine, or 48 beers)
17 I would start to sweat.
18 My hands would shake.
19 My body would shake.
20 I would be craving for a drink.

Stockwell and colleagues; CASAA Research Division Revised5/95 form. Distributed in CASAA’s uncopyrighted freeware assessment library.

Responses stay in this page’s memory. Reset or leave the page to clear them. No patient identifiers are collected.

Interpretation & limitations

References · 3
  1. CASAA exact SADQ Revised5/95 questions, section instructions and anchors
  2. CASAA instrument library freeware and uncopyrighted-use statement · The CASAA assessment library explicitly identifies all instruments in its library, including its linked SADQ form, as uncopyrighted freeware usable without permission. The exact linked Revised5/95 form is used.
  3. National Clinical Guideline: five item groups, total0–60 and higher-severity31-point guide

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