PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSES OF THE ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE SCALE AMONG UNITED-STATES AND RUSSIAN CLINICAL-SAMPLES

This project explores the cross-national construct validity of the Alc ohol Dependence Syndrome. The investigation also examines basic psycho metric properties of the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS), an instrument commonly employed to measure dependence. Subjects consisted of inpati ents and outpatients in American and Russian alcoholism treatment prog rams. Despite some variations, an orthogonal four factor structure of the ADS appears similar across the two cultural samples, thus lending support to the alcohol dependence construct. Analyses of psychometric properties of the Scale generally support its value in future cross-cu ltural research on alcohol dependence.