Dependence scales

Why dependence?

Dependence is classed as a ‘specific condition’ outcome measure; it is an especially significant condition in that dependence is at the heart of the broader concept of addictive behaviours. Dependence is, therefore, suggested as one of the four key measures of addiction outcomes.

Leeds Dependence Questionnaire - LDQ

The LDQ is based on the World Health Organisation, International Classification of Disorders, ICD, definition of dependence. It is a universal scale, meaning it can be applied to most psychoactive substances or easily adapted and it can be used during periods of abstinence. Values are given for calculating clinically significant change.

Timeframe :: last month
Completion time :: five minutes
Scoring :: All items are scored 0-1-2-3 giving a maximum of 30. Up to two unanswered items can be pro-rated by allocating the mean score for the valid responses
Cut-off score :: Dependence is a continuous data variable, however, cut-offs suggested: low dependence <10; moderate dependence 11-20; severe dependence >=21
Clinically significant change :: The reliable change score is >=4 and functional population scores are male <10 female <5
Licence: BY-NC-ND
User guide available…

References (psychometrics)

Raistrick DS, Bradshaw J, Tober GW, Weiner J, Allison J and Healey C (1994) Development of the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire. Addiction 89: 563-572

Paton-Simpson G and MacKinnon S (1999) Evaluation of the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ) for New Zealand. Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. Research Monograph Series: No 10. ISSN: 1174-1856 ISBN: 0-477-06343-8.

Tober GW (2000) The nature and measurement of change in substance dependence. University of Leeds, PhD Thesis.

Heather N, Raistrick DS, Tober GW, Godfrey C and Parrott S (2001) Leeds Dependence Questionnaire: new data from a large sample of clinic attenders. Addiction Research and Theory 9: 253-269

Ford, P (2003) An evaluation of the Dartmouth Assessment of Lifestyle Inventory and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire for use among detained psychiatric inpatients. Addiction 98: 111-118

Hartney E, Orford J, Dalton S, Ferrins-Brown M, Kerr C and Maslin J (2003) Untreated Heavy Drinkers: a Qualitative and Quantitative Study of Dependence and Readiness to Change. Addiction Research and Theory, 11:5, 317-337

Kelly JF, Magill M, Slaymaker V, Kahler C (2010) Psychometric validation of the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ) in a young adult clinical sample. Addictive Behaviors 35: 331–336

Anson H (2012) Service users’ experiences and opinions of routine outcome measures at Leeds Addiction Unit. Unpublished work from DClinPsychol Programme, University of Leeds.

Raistrick DS, Tober GW, Sweetman J, Unsworth S, Crosby H, and Evans T (2014) Measuring clinically significant outcomes – LDQ, CORE-10, and SSQ as dimension measures of addiction. The Psychiatrist 38: 112-115

Fairhurst CM, Böhnke JR, Gabe R, Croudace TJ, Tober GW, Raistrick D (2014) Factor analysis of treatment outcomes from a UK specialist addiction service: relationship between the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, Social Satisfaction Questionnaire and CORE-10. Drug and Alcohol Review 33: 643-650

Galecki JM, Sherman MF, Prenoveau JM and Chan KS (2016). Item analysis of the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire in community treatment centers. Psychological Assessment 28: 1061-1073