Past-year alcohol abuse and dependence were assessed using a self-report measure comprised of 11 yes/no items corresponding to the DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Examples were given to illustrate each criterion. There were two main differences between the DSM criteria and the items in this measure. Two items concerning withdrawal were posed: one concerning the experience of withdrawal and the other concerning the consumption of alcohol to avoid withdrawal. These two items were combined for the purposes of analysis, such that endorsement of either was indicative of withdrawal. Also, the abuse criteria concerning legal and social/interpersonal problems were combined to form a single item. This combination was done to address a concern that some students may consider recently enacted penalties for drinking at this university to be legal problems, whereas others may consider them social/interpersonal consequences—potentially threatening the validity of each item if kept separate.
