title: Severity of dependence scale as a diagnostic tool for heroin and cocaine dependence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to further assess the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) validity and to identify the cut-off score for a DSM-IV diagnosis of heroin and cocaine dependence through a cross-sectional survey in Barcelona, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) was used as the gold standard. 146 young (18-30 years old) heroin users were recruited from outside the healthcare context, 135 of whom were also current cocaine users. SDS scores were correlated to quantity, frequency and length of drug use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SDS cut-off point at which there was optimal discrimination of a DSM-IV diagnosis presence was found to be 3 (i.e., a score of 3 or more) for heroin dependence and 4 for cocaine dependence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study gives further support to SDS dimensional properties and to its validity for rapid assessment of current heroin and cocaine dependence.
authors.affiliation: Fundación Andaluza para la Atención a las Drogodependencias (FADA), Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Sáiz
authors.forename: Antònia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domingo-Salvany
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrio
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Niubó
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Brugal
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003710:Demography; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult