The Craving Typology Questionnaire: Polish adaptation and validation

Alcohol craving, a core symptom of addiction, is experienced by most individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Its significance in the course of addiction treatment has been widely investigated using various psychometric instruments. The Craving Typology Questionnaire (CTQ) developed by Martinotti et al. allows for the assessment of alcohol craving in accordance with the three-factor model proposed by Verheul et al. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the CTQ for use in the Polish population.

A total of 510 individuals (396 men and 114 women) diagnosed with alcohol dependence and undergoing treatment in various therapeutic centers participated in the study. Alongside the CTQ, the following instruments were used: the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (Y-BOCS-hd), and the Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire (SADD) to assess craving intensity and severity of dependence.

The Polish version of the CTQ demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. Factor analysis revealed three dimensions ‒ reward craving, relief craving, and obsessive craving ‒ accounting for approximately 47% of the total variance. Due to differences in factor structure from the original, the final version was reduced from 20 to 17 items. Cronbach's alpha was 0.85 for Obsessive craving, 0.73 for Relief craving, and 0.57 for Reward craving. All CTQ subscales showed moderate, significant correlations with PACS, Y-BOCS-hd, and alcohol dependence severity.

The method can therefore be recommended, albeit with some caution, for use in research and clinical practice, particularly in the selection of appropriate forms of therapy, including pharmacological interventions.