The Tangible Common Denominator of Substance Use Disorders: A Reply to Commentaries to Rehm et al. (2013a)
Open accessAbstract
In response to our suggestion to define substance use disorders via 'heavy use over time', theoretical and conceptual issues, measurement problems and implications for stigma and clinical practice were raised. With respect to theoretical and conceptual issues, no other criterion has been shown, which would improve the definition. Moreover, heavy use over time is shown to be highly correlated with number of criteria in current DSM-5. Measurement of heavy use over time is simple and while there will be some underestimation or misrepresentation of actual levels in clinical practice, this is not different from the status quo and measurement of current criteria. As regards to stigma, research has shown that a truly dimensional concept can help reduce stigma. In conclusion, 'heavy use over time' as a tangible common denominator should be seriously considered as definition for substance use disorder.
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Alcohol dependence is linked both to regular and irregular heavy drinking occasions.
“The most important category of alcohol use disorders in terms of public health impact is alcohol dependence (F10.2), which is linked both to regular and irregular heavy drinking occasions (see the almost straight linear relationship between average level of drinking and number of symptoms for dependence 40).”
From The relationship between different dimensions of alcohol use and the burden of disease—an update (2017) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Rehm, J., Anderson, P., Gual, A., Kraus, L., Marmet, S., Nutt, D. J., Room, R., Samokhvalov, A. V., Scafato, E., Shield, K. D., Trapencieris, M., Wiers, R. W., & Gmel, G.
- Affiliations
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- Addiction Switzerland (CH)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità (IT)
- University of Latvia (LV)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Rehm, J.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Alcohol and Alcoholism
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2013-11-12
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 118-122
- ISSN
- 0735-0414 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-3502
- OpenAlex
- W1988651105
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 1
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Alcohol and Alcoholism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Funders
- European Commission (266813)
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Keywords
- substance use disorders, diagnostic criteria, DSM-5, dimensional models, stigma, clinical practice
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Time Factors, Substance-Related Disorders, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Social Stigma
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