Validation of the amphetamine dependence syndrome and the SAmDQ

The Severity of Amphetamine Dependence Questionnaire (SAmDQ) was administered to 132 subjects who were amphetamine dependent by DSM-III-R criteria. The structural characteristics of the questionnaire were examined and findings compared with those reported previously for both the SAmDQ and its forebear, the SODQ. There was a high degree of consistency in the present psychometric analyses and those reported earlier; and comparisons between samples of differing dependence severities indicated that the SAmDQ is capable of discriminating between these groups. The findings support the existence of an amphetamine dependence syndrome, and help to explicate the dimensions underlying such a syndrome and the characteristics of the population in which it may be manifest.