IMPAIRED CONTROL SCALE - CROSS-VALIDATION AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH TREATMENT OUTCOME

Aims. (I) To cross-validate Australian findings on the Impaired Contro l Scale (ICS) in an English sample of problem drinkers. (2) To examine a possible improvement to the scoring of the ICS (3) To explore the r elationship of the ICS to treatment outcome. Design. In a repeated mea sures design, questionnaires and interviews were administered by train ed staff during treatment and again at 6 months follow-up. Setting. Tw o alcohol and drug treatment services in Newcastle and Liverpool (UK). Participants. Two hundred and twenty-nine problem drinkers attending as in-or outpatients, with abstinence or moderation treatment goals. M easurements. ICS scores; typical weekly alcohol consumption (units); d egree of alcohol-related problems; severity of alcohol dependence; and classification of outcome using consumption levels and current alcoho l-related problems, with collateral confirmation of self-reports. Find ings. The satisfactory reliability and validity of the ICS was confirm ed in an English sample of problem drinkers in treatment. An improved ''substitution method'' of scoring was developed to give a single meas ure of impaired control for all subjects irrespective of degree of att empted control. ICS scores were significantly correlated with treatmen t outcome and, among a subgroup of subjects who had aimed at abstinenc e but failed, predicted outcome status after the effects of degree of dependence had been extracted. Conclusions. Impaired control over alco hol consumption can be measured in a reliable and valid fashion by the ICS. The ICS has potential uses in research on impaired control and a s a clinical assessment tool.