PREDICTIVE-VALIDITY OF COCAINE, SEDATIVE, AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE DIAGNOSES

This study, examined the predictive validity of Structured Clinical In terview for DSM-III-R (Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon, & First, 1990) based substance dependence diagnoses (i.e., cocaine sedative, and alcohol) for 518 opioid-dependent outpatients entering methadone maintenance. P atients were followed over 1 year of treatment. which involved daily m ethadone substitution supplemented by individual and,group counseling. Urine specimens were tested randomly 1-4 times per month. Patients di agnosed with current cocaine, sedative, or alcohol dependence were mor e likely to use these drugs than were patients with past only or no de pendence syndrome. Current cocaine dependence predicted early treatmen t dropout. The results demonstrate the predictive and discriminant val idity of several substance dependence diagnoses common among patients in substance abuse or other psychiatric treatment settings.