title: An evaluation of the psychoactive substance dependence syndrome in its application to opiate users.
abstract: The Psychoactive Substance Abuse and Dependence (PSDA) section of the revised, 3rd edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) bears a close correspondence to the conceptualization of a dependence syndrome as posited by Edwards, Arif & Hodgson (1981). Further, DSM-III-R represents a major shift in psychodiagnostics. The present study investigated hypothesized properties of the dependence syndrome and examined the characteristics of DSM-III-R criteria with a sample of opiate users. Findings indicated general support for the unidimensional postulate of the dependence syndrome but did not support the weighting of syndrome elements within DSM-III-R. The implications of such findings for the proposed DSM-IV are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stripp
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Pattison
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pead
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Holman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs