Further validation of the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Relationship to alcoholism severity

The authors administered the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), a self-rated questionnaire that quantifies some cognitive and behavioral dimensions of "craving" for alcohol, to 124 alcohol-dependent subjects in three pharmacological treatment studies. The OCDS total scores had significant correlations with both the Alcohol Dependence Scale (r = 0.42; P < 0.0001) and the alcohol subscale of the Addiction Severity Index (r = 0.44; P < 0.0001). Previous alcoholism treatment was associated with higher OCDS Total and Obsessive subscale scores. These data support the congruent validity of the OCDS with previously well established measures of alcohol dependence severity and suggest that this measurement of craving may help in formulating appropriate treatment plans for alcoholic patients.