Abstract
A review is given of rating scales used in the diagnostic process of alcohol dependency and related disorders. Screening and assessment are seen as the two major goals of this diagnostic process. After some comments on the question of how adequate rating scales should be construed and what kind of criteria should be applied to evaluate their usefulness, alcohol-specific as well as addiction-specific rating scales are discussed, followed by a discussion on the assessment of psychiatric comorbidity in alcohol-dependent patients by use of general measures of depression and anxiety. After some remarks on the philosophy of rating scales, a set of 10 tentative guidelines for their selection and practical application is presented from a pragmatic point of view.
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