The dependence syndrome concept as applied to alcohol and other substances of abuse

FRANÇAIS :
Le concept du syndrome de dépendance développé d'abord autour de l'abus d'alcool est appliqué ici pour comparer l'usage d'alcool, d'opiacés et de cocaïne. Il est considéré sous l'éclairage des théories de la motivation par rapport à la faim. Soixante dix-sept usagers de drogues cités font l'objet d'une étude visant à tester la cohérence du concept de dépendance et le bien-fondé de l'application de critères biologiques et comportementaux pour approcher le concept. Tout en concluant à la validité du concept, les résultats démontrent que celui-ci mérite d'être affiné encore.
ENGLISH:
The dependence syndrome concept has been defined by both behavioral and biological changes that occur with excessive substance use. Originally developed for alcohol, this concept was adopted for diagnosing dependence on other substances of abuse, although little research had been done to test its validity for other drugs. This chapter addresses the validity of the dependence concept across drug classes in the following ways. First, we compare the dependence items for three different drugs, alcohol, opiates, and cocaine, in measures of internal consistency. Second, biological items are correlated with behavioral items to assess the usefulness of defining dependence by both biological and behavioral criteria. Finally, we draw upon ideas developed in motivational theory and apply these to the dependence syndrome concept. These analyses, while supporting the validity of the concept, lead to suggestions for refining the concept of dependence. [Author's abstract]