spectrum of AUD with a continuum of severity. Removal of “abuse” from DSM-5 may also serve to reduce the stigma and negative judgment associated with such terminology [6]. The DSM-5 includes 11 criteria: 10 of the 11 combined DSM-IV abuse and dependence criteria (excluding legal problems) and a new criterion for craving (Fig. 1) [7]. DSM-5 further specifies AUD severity as mild, moderate or severe based on the number of diagnostic criteria endorsed, with at least 2 of 11 criteria required for a diagnosis (mild = 2–3, moderate = 4–5, severe ≥6). DSM-5 AUD was designed to reduce the number of “diagnostic orphans” that occurred with DSM-IV, whereby patients with 1 or 2 dependence criteria (and no abuse criteria) did not meet diagnostic criteria for abuse or dependence [8, 9]. Diagnostic orphans have an increased risk of developing a DSM-IV alcohol use disorder compared to those with no AUD symptoms in certain populations [e.g. young adults] and are therefore an important group to identify [10]. However, those who had DSM-IV abuse based on 1 criterion will not meet criteria for DSM-5 AUD [11]. The design of the DSM-5 AUD criteria is such that all people who met criteria for DSM-IV
