Comparative concurrent validities of five alcoholism measures in a psychiatric hospital

The concurrent validities of five self-report alcoholism measures were compared in a psychiatric hospital population using Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) alcohol dependence module outputs as criterion. The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test was the most accurate identifier of alcohol dependence at some point in the subjects' life, while the CAGE interview best identified alcohol dependence in the previous year. The correlations of a quantity-frequency measure, the Clinical Signs checklist, and the Medical History questionnaire with DIS alcohol dependence module outputs were generally weaker. The data also suggested that cutting scores based on local norms may offer better hit rates in psychiatric settings than those proposed by the instruments' authors, but additional cross-validations are needed to confirm that possibility.