Interviews were conducted by clinically trained research interviewers, most of whom had extensive clinical experience with alcoholism. The interview included demographic characteristics, lifetime history of AD and alcohol-related traits, and comorbid conditions. DSM-IV AD was assessed using the SSAGA (Semi-Structured Assessment of the Genetics of Alcoholism) interview (version II, Bucholz et al., 1994) modified to reduce assessment time by omitting items that address onset age of each symptom.
