Diagnostic reliability of the Semi-structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA)

The Semi-structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA) is a diagnostic instrument developed for studies of the genetics of substance use and associated disorders. The SSADDA provides more detailed coverage of specific drug use disorders, particularly cocaine and opioid dependence, than existing psychiatric diagnostic instruments. A computerized version of the SSADDA was developed to permit direct entry of subject responses by the interviewer. This study examines the diagnostic reliability of the SSADDA for substance use disorders and for other DSM-IV disorders that are commonly associated with substance use disorders.

Two hundred and ninety-three subjects (mean age = 39 yr, 52.2% women) were interviewed twice over a 2-week period in two sub-studies examining the inter-rater (n = 173) or test-retest reliability (n = 120) of the SSADDA. The kappa statistic and Yule's Y were used to measure reliability.

The reliability of most substance dependence diagnoses was good to excellent, although the reliability of substance abuse diagnoses was substantially lower. The reliability of the associated psychiatric diagnoses varied from fair to excellent.

The SSADDA yields reliable diagnoses for a variety of psychiatric disorders, including alcohol and drug dependence. Although developed for use in genetic studies, its broad and detailed coverage of disorders and computer-assisted format will allow it to be used in a variety of applications requiring careful diagnostic assessment.