Alcohol Dependence: Methodological Issues in its Measurement; Reliability of the Criteria

Abstract

Summary Instruments measuring alcohol dependence have seldom been presented with evidence of their reliability. There are a number of difficulties in designing such instruments which contribute to unreliability. The items in a standard interview, The Edinburgh Alcohol Dependence Schedule, are shown in this paper to have acceptable inter‐rater reliability, although difficulties in operationalizing ‘impaired control’ remain.