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The reliability and validity of the Severity of Dependence Scale for detecting cannabis dependence in psychosis
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Australia. lhides@unimelb.edu.au
Aims:
To determine the reliability and validity of the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) for detecting cannabis dependence in a large sample of in-patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Participants:
Participants were 153 in-patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder in Brisbane, Australia.
Measurements:
Participants were administered the SDS for cannabis dependence in the past 12 months. The presence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version-IV (DSM-IV) cannabis dependence in the previous 12 months was assessed using the Comprehensive International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).
Findings:
The SDS had high levels of internal consistency and strong construct and concurrent validity. Individuals with a score of >or = 2 on the SDS were nearly 30 times more likely to have DSM-IV cannabis dependence. The SDS was the strongest predictor of DSM-IV cannabis dependence after controlling for other predictor variables.
Conclusions:
The SDS is a brief, valid and reliable screen for cannabis dependence among people with psychosis.
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