NCJ Number
160828
Date Published
1990
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This review discusses the measurement of problems related both to the use of alcohol and other psychoactive drugs in community surveys.
Abstract
The discussion focuses on surveys of alcohol use and misuse. The topics covered include the merits of surveys compared with other methods, the measurement of alcohol-related problems by surveys, and the interrelations between specific alcohol-related problems and overall problem scores. Less emphasis is given to the measurement of problems associated with other forms of psychoactive substances. The author concludes that for a better understanding of alcoholic beverage consumption, more comparative surveys in different nations, and thus different cultures, are needed. It is also desirable to conduct more studies of poly-drug use and related problems. Further, it is useful to study both interrelations between alcohol and drug-related problems and other variables, such as all kinds of demographic, health, and lifestyle variables; therefore, it is desirable to add more questions about alcohol and drugs to general health surveys. Finally, it is necessary for alcohol and drug researchers to pay more attention to the translation of the results of their studies into recommendations useful for policymakers and workers in the health and social services. 35 references