The present findings on unidimensionality of the three abuse and seven dependence criteria are consistent with the many population-based adult studies in the U.S. (Agrawal and Lynskey, 2007; Agrawal et al., 2009; Beseler and Hasin, 2010; Compton et al., 2009; Hasin et al., 2006c; Kahler and Strong, 2006; Lynskey and Agrawal, 2007; Proudfoot et al., 2006; Saha et al., 2006; Teesson et al., 2002) and elsewhere (Shmulewitz et al., 2010), in emergency room patients in different countries (Borges et al., 2010; Cherpitel et al., 2010), and in adolescents (Gelhorn et al., 2008; Martin et al., 2006; Perron et al., 2010; Piontek et al., 2011; Wu et al., 2009b). Results are also consistent with two other studies in clinical samples (Langenbucher et al., 2004; Shand et al., 2011) that examined abuse and dependence criteria. The overwhelming weight of evidence is therefore that the unidimensional latent structure of SUD abuse and dependence criteria is consistent across populations, including clinical populations, supporting the combination of abuse and dependence in DSM-5 into a single SUD diagnosis.
