Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 2001 Mar;93(3):92–103.

Adolescent Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale: an assessment tool for problem drinking.

D Deas 1, J Roberts 1, C Randall 1, R Anton 1
PMCID: PMC2593946  PMID: 12656441

Abstract

Alcoholism has been studied in adults and found to share obsessive-compulsive characteristics. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOC) was used to quantify the measurements of this disorder. This study adapted the YBOC for use with adolescents/young adults in an attempt to measure the "craving" expressed as obsessive and compulsive phenomenon. The primary findings show that the obsessive compulsive dimensions of alcohol cravings, as described in adult populations, also exist in adolescent/young adults. The Adolescent Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (A-OCDS) was developed utilizing idioms and language typical for the 17-20 age group. Various quantitative evaluations proved that the Interference and Irresistibility sub-scales were the primary dimensions causing the obsessive behavior. This study begins to address this aspect of adolescent substance abuse utilizing a tool that is easy to administer. Because of the ease of use, although not a diagnostic instrument, the A-OCDS may be useful for identifying problem drinking in adolescents as well as detecting impairment in function related to drinking.

Full text

PDF
92

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anton R. F., Moak D. H., Latham P. K. The obsessive compulsive drinking scale: A new method of assessing outcome in alcoholism treatment studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Mar;53(3):225–231. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830030047008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anton R. F., Moak D. H., Latham P. The Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale: a self-rated instrument for the quantification of thoughts about alcohol and drinking behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1995 Feb;19(1):92–99. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1995.tb01475.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Anton R. F., Moak D. H., Waid L. R., Latham P. K., Malcolm R. J., Dias J. K. Naltrexone and cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of outpatient alcoholics: results of a placebo-controlled trial. Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Nov;156(11):1758–1764. doi: 10.1176/ajp.156.11.1758. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bohn M. J., Barton B. A., Barron K. E. Psychometric properties and validity of the obsessive-compulsive drinking scale. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1996 Aug;20(5):817–823. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05257.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Caetano R. Alcohol dependence and the need to drink: a compulsion? Psychol Med. 1985 Aug;15(3):463–469. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700031342. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DeLong E. R., DeLong D. M., Clarke-Pearson D. L. Comparing the areas under two or more correlated receiver operating characteristic curves: a nonparametric approach. Biometrics. 1988 Sep;44(3):837–845. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Goodman W. K., Price L. H., Rasmussen S. A., Mazure C., Fleischmann R. L., Hill C. L., Heninger G. R., Charney D. S. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. I. Development, use, and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Nov;46(11):1006–1011. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810110048007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HORN J. L. A RATIONALE AND TEST FOR THE NUMBER OF FACTORS IN FACTOR ANALYSIS. Psychometrika. 1965 Jun;30:179–185. doi: 10.1007/BF02289447. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kranzler H. R., Mulgrew C. L., Modesto-Lowe V., Burleson J. A. Validity of the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS): does craving predict drinking behavior? Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1999 Jan;23(1):108–114. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ludwig A. M., Wikler A. "Craving" and relapse to drink. Q J Stud Alcohol. 1974 Mar;35(1):108–130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Modell J. G., Glaser F. B., Mountz J. M., Schmaltz S., Cyr L. Obsessive and compulsive characteristics of alcohol abuse and dependence: quantification by a newly developed questionnaire. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1992 Apr;16(2):266–271. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1992.tb01374.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rankin H., Hodgson R., Stockwell T. The concept of craving and its measurement. Behav Res Ther. 1979;17(4):389–396. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(79)90010-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES