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The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wu, L-T; Pan, J-J; Blazer, DG; Tai, B; Brooner, RK; Stitzer, ML; Patkar, AA; Blaine, JD
Published in: Drug Alcohol Depend
August 1, 2009

INTRODUCTION: Although DSM-IV criteria are widely used in making diagnoses of substance use disorders, gaps exist regarding diagnosis classification, use of dependence criteria, and effects of measurement bias on diagnosis assessment. We examined the construct and measurement equivalence of diagnostic criteria for cocaine and opioid dependences, including whether each criterion maps onto the dependence construct, how well each criterion performs, how much information each contributes to a diagnosis, and whether symptom-endorsing is equivalent between demographic groups. METHODS: Item response theory (IRT) and multiple indicators-multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling were performed on a sample of stimulant-using methadone maintenance patients enrolled in a multisite study of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) (N=383). Participants were recruited from six community-based methadone maintenance treatment programs associated with the CTN and major U.S. providers. Cocaine and opioid dependences were assessed by DSM-IV Checklist. RESULTS: IRT modeling showed that symptoms of cocaine and opioid dependences, respectively, were arrayed along a continuum of severity. All symptoms had moderate to high discrimination in distinguishing drug users between severity levels. "Withdrawal" identified the most severe symptom of the cocaine dependence continuum. MIMIC modeling revealed some support for measurement equivalence. CONCLUSIONS: Study results suggest that self-reported symptoms of cocaine and opioid dependences and their underlying constructs can be measured appropriately among treatment-seeking polysubstance users.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Drug Alcohol Depend

DOI

EISSN

1879-0046

Publication Date

August 1, 2009

Volume

103

Issue

3

Start / End Page

114 / 123

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Substance Abuse
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Psychometrics
  • Opioid-Related Disorders
  • Models, Statistical
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Wu, L.-T., Pan, J.-J., Blazer, D. G., Tai, B., Brooner, R. K., Stitzer, M. L., … Blaine, J. D. (2009). The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study. Drug Alcohol Depend, 103(3), 114–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.01.018
Wu, Li-Tzy, Jeng-Jong Pan, Dan G. Blazer, Betty Tai, Robert K. Brooner, Maxine L. Stitzer, Ashwin A. Patkar, and Jack D. Blaine. “The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study.Drug Alcohol Depend 103, no. 3 (August 1, 2009): 114–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.01.018.
Wu L-T, Pan J-J, Blazer DG, Tai B, Brooner RK, Stitzer ML, et al. The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Aug 1;103(3):114–23.
Wu, Li-Tzy, et al. “The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study.Drug Alcohol Depend, vol. 103, no. 3, Aug. 2009, pp. 114–23. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.01.018.
Wu L-T, Pan J-J, Blazer DG, Tai B, Brooner RK, Stitzer ML, Patkar AA, Blaine JD. The construct and measurement equivalence of cocaine and opioid dependences: a National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Aug 1;103(3):114–123.
Journal cover image

Published In

Drug Alcohol Depend

DOI

EISSN

1879-0046

Publication Date

August 1, 2009

Volume

103

Issue

3

Start / End Page

114 / 123

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Substance Abuse
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Psychometrics
  • Opioid-Related Disorders
  • Models, Statistical
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders