Psychometric properties of the transaddiction craving triggers questionnaire in alcohol use disorder.

Lucia Romo,Stéphane Rothen,Cora Von Hammerstein,Amandine Luquiens,Amine Benyamina,Yasser Khazaal,Aurélien Cornil,Joël Billieux

doi:10.1002/mpr.1815

Abstract

ObjectivesWe aimed to develop the transaddiction craving triggers questionnaire (TCTQ), which assesses the propensity of specific situations and contexts to trigger craving and to test its psychometric properties in alcohol use disorder (AUD).MethodsThis study included a sample of 111 AUD outpatients. We performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and calculated item–dimension correlations. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was assessed through Spearman correlations with craving, emotional symptoms, impulsivity, mindfulness, and drinking characteristics.ResultsThe EFA suggested a 3‐factor solution: unpleasant affect, pleasant affect, and cues and related thoughts. Cronbach's coefficient alpha ranged from .80 to .95 for the three factors and the total score. Weak positive correlations were identified between the TCTQ and drinking outcomes, and moderate correlation were found between the TCTQ and craving strength, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, and impact of alcohol on quality of life.ConclusionsThe 3‐factor structure is congruent with the well‐established propensity of emotions and cues to trigger craving. Construct validity is supported by close relations between the TCTQ and psychological well‐being rather than between the TCTQ and drinking behaviors. Longitudinal validation is warranted to assess sensitivity to change of the TCTQ and to explore its psychometric properties in other addictive disorders.

Highlights

In the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), craving was added as one of 12 criteria used to define alcohol use disorder (AUD)
Other models hold that craving and urge belong to a continuum of desire in which craving is located at the extreme pole (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005)
We aimed to develop a new scale that measures sensitivity to craving triggers, that is, the transaddiction craving triggers questionnaire (TCTQ), and to investigate its psychometric properties in AUD

Summary

Introduction

In the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), craving was added as one of 12 criteria used to define alcohol use disorder (AUD). Kavanagh and colleagues formulated a cognitive model of craving: the elaborated intrusion theory of desire (EIT; Kavanagh et al, 2005) According to this theory, craving is a process, common to all addictions, in which the desire for a specific target (a substance or a behavior) and its expected effects overwhelm the attentional capacities of an individual. According to this theory, craving is the consequence of cognitive elaborations (involving mental imageries and verbal thoughts) triggered by specific environmental contexts, physiological sensations, negative and positive emotions, or associated thoughts

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion