STRUCTURE AND CORRELATES OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE IN CLINICAL-SAMPLES INTHE UNITED-STATES AND RUSSIA

Using items from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, dim ensionality of the alcohol dependence syndrome was assessed in clinica l samples in the United States and Russia. In both groups, a single-fa ctor model provided a high degree of goodness of fit thus demonstratin g cross-cultural coherence of the construct. The item dealing with nar rowing of the drinking repertoire is most disparate in each sample. Se verity of alcohol consequences was moderately related to alcohol depen dence in both samples. Demographic variables, however, correlated less with seventy of consequences. After the effects of seventy of depende nce and demographics were removed, quantity/frequency of recent alcoho l consumption did not contribute to severity of consequences. Country, however, remained a significant, but small, predictor of severity of alcohol consequences.