Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale in an Australian Inpatient Setting.

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) presents a significant global health burden, with high relapse rates post-inpatient withdrawal.
• The Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale (ARRS) is a validated Japanese tool for assessing AUD relapse risk.
• This study investigates the ARRS's utility within an Australian inpatient setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability and psychometric properties of the Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale (ARRS) in an Australian inpatient population.
• To assess the internal consistency and predictive validity of the ARRS for alcohol relapse.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 101 inpatients with AUD across two South Western Sydney Local Health District sites.
• The Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale (ARRS) was administered post-informed consent.
• Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and predictive validity (correlation, regression, ROC analysis) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The ARRS demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.86).
• Positive Expectancy subscale scores were highest, indicating beliefs about alcohol reducing loneliness.
• Relapse at 4 weeks was linked to higher Insight Into Mental Conditions subscale scores (sensitivity=0.8, specificity=0.42 at cutoff 71.5).

Conclusions:

• The ARRS is a potentially valuable tool for assessing alcohol relapse risk in Australian inpatient settings.
• The scale's multidimensional nature supports its clinical application.
• Further validation and cultural adaptation are suggested for wider implementation.