We also explored the association between the Internalizing Scale with several alcohol-related variables, which included: a) lifetime DSM5 AUD diagnosis, b) number of AUD symptoms, and c) the total score of the Desires for Alcohol Questionnaire, a measure of alcohol craving.52,53 Associations between the scale and lifetime diagnoses and number of substance use disorder symptoms for nicotine and marijuana were also examined. All associations were explored using the validation sample. Because the literature suggests that internalizing characteristics are not strongly associated with substance use and problems (e.g.,54,55), it was anticipated that the Internalizing Scale would exhibit a modest positive relationship with the alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana variables.
