title: Characteristics of developmentally early alcohol use disorder symptom reports: a prospective-longitudinal community study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little prospective-epidemiological information on symptoms of DSM-IV-alcohol use disorder (alcohol abuse and dependence; AUD) that may be typical for early AUD stages or the developmental periods of adolescence and early adulthood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate AUD symptoms (AUDS) cross-sectionally at three subsequent assessment waves regarding prevalence rates, symptom counts, associated drinking patterns, positive predictive values (PPV) for DSM-IV-alcohol dependence (AD), and AUDS stability over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  N=2039 community subjects (baseline age 14-24 years) participated in a baseline and two follow-up assessment(s) over up to ten years. DSM-IV-AUDS, DSM-IV-AUD and craving were assessed with the DSM-IV/M-CIDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the assessment waves, tolerance and much time were most and role obligations and withdrawal least frequent. Most subjects with DSM-IV-AUDS reported only one symptom (47.2-55.1%). PPV for DSM-IV-AD only exceeded 70% for activities, problem, withdrawal, and desired control; PPV were lowest for tolerance and hazardous use. For most AUDS, AUDS report compared to non-report was associated with elevated drinking frequency and amounts. Stability of baseline AUDS at four-year and ten-year follow-up did not exceed 36.4% for any symptom.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall pattern of most/least frequent AUDS reported in adolescence and early adulthood resembles findings in older adults and does not suggest a developmentally specific symptom pattern. Moderate AUDS-stability and considerable remission rates indicate that AUDS in this age group are transient for a considerable proportion of subjects. However, the associations with elevated consumption indicate that AUDS reports early in life need to be taken seriously in prevention and intervention.
authors: Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. silke.behrendt@psychologie.tu-dresden.de
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Behrendt
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Bühringer
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Perkonigg
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Lieb
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Beesdo-Baum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058028:Research Report; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescence; Alcohol abuse; Alcohol dependence; DSM-IV alcohol use disorder; Epidemiology; Longitudinal; Symptoms