craving in DSM-V would increase the comparability of these two diagnostic systems. However, in considering the addition of a new criterion to the DSM-V, several issues must simultaneously be balanced. A new criterion should be an observable indicator of the underlying latent construct of the disorder, and its addition should improve the diagnosis, in terms of reliability, validity, and/or case finding. Further, changes to the epidemiology of alcohol disorders based on the new addition (e.g., prevalence, correlates) need to be identified and their implications considered carefully in weighing the pros and cons of a new criterion.
