Alcohol dependence syndrome: measurement and validation.

Abstract

The alcohol dependence syndrome proposed by Edwards and Gross in 1976 is a central concept in the World Health Organization classification of alcoholism. The present study focused on the measurement and validation of this syndrome using a sample of 225 individuals with alcohol-related problems. A brief 29-item Alcohol Dependence Scale was derived that exhibited substantial internal consistency reliability (.92). Scale scores conformed quite closely to a normal distribution, which supports a quantitative (existing in degrees) interpretation of the syndrome. Higher levels of alcohol dependence were associated with social consequences from drinking as well as with greater quantities of alcohol consumed. As alcohol dependence increased, clients were less likely to show up for their first treatment appointment. The degree of alcohol dependence was directly related to psychopatholo gy (thinking disorder, hypochondriasis, persecutory ideas, anxiety, depression) and also to physical symptoms of the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. Given the high correlation between alcohol dependence and adverse consequences from drinking, the Alcohol Dependence Scale provides important information for treatment planning and may be especially relevant when deciding between goals of total abstinence versus controlled drinking.