Craving and withdrawal as core symptoms of alcohol dependence.
There is ongoing debate regarding the validity of the distinction of alcohol abuse and dependence, the distinction between normality and alcohol abuse, and the absence of craving in the DSM-IV classification of alcohol use disorders. In this study, we examine the discriminant validity of the DSM-IV alcohol use disorder diagnoses in three different populations (98 patients from an alcohol treatment service, 68 nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers, and 75 psychiatric outpatients). We compare the results of the DSM-IV classification with an alternative classification that requires craving and withdrawal for the diagnosis of dependence and at least two DSM-IV abuse-dependence symptoms for the diagnosis of abuse: the Craving Withdrawal Model (CWM). Although the total prevalence of any alcohol use disorder did not differ between DSM-IV and CWM, the distinction between normality and abuse and between abuse and dependence was better for the CWM categories.
de Bruijn
Carla
C
St. Lucas Andreas Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Korzec
Alex
A
Koerselman
Frank
F
van Den Brink
Wim
W
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000431:Ethanol