The A-OCDS predicts both craving and alcohol cue reactivity in adolescent alcoholics

Adolescents with alcohol dependence may experience marked craving and physiologic reactivity in the presence of alcohol cues which could undermine treatment gains. The Adolescent Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (A-OCDS) was developed to help quantify the severity of alcohol craving in adolescents with alcohol use disorders. The A-OCDS is a relatively new instrument, and empirical data are needed to support its value in clinical trials. The present investigation uses data collected as part of a clinical laboratory study examining alcohol craving and cue reactivity in adolescents with and without alcohol dependence. A-OCDS total and subscale scores from adolescent alcoholics (N = 28) were examined regarding their relationship to drinking and several indices of craving and alcohol cue reactivity. In addition, regression analyses were performed to characterize the predictive ability of A-OCDS total scores and drinking indices (drinks per drinking day and percent days abstinent) on two measures of alcohol craving and cue reactivity. Results showed that the A-OCDS total scores, but not drinks per drinking day or percent days abstinent, predicted scores on both indices of craving. The study uses a small but well-defined sample of adolescents with alcohol dependence and supports the construct validity of the A-OCDS and suggests that, as in adults, alcohol craving and drinking behavior are related but separate elements of alcohol dependence. The results are intended to guide future studies in which the A-OCDS may be employed to measure craving and changes in craving over the course of treatment for adolescents with alcohol dependence.