Alcohol assessment in psychiatric patients

Alcohol use disorders in persons with co-occurring psychiatric disorders are associated with high rates of psychosocial instability and poorer treatment outcomes. Thus, assessment of alcohol use and abuse should become an integral part of psychiatric care. Because self-report-based measures are frequently used, issues of reliability and validity in this population should be critically examined. The purpose of this article is to review and critique the existing empirical literature that has evaluated the psychometric integrity of self- report-based measures in psychiatric settings, and to outline a research agenda that promises to enhance the accuracy of alcohol assessment by persons receiving psychiatric treatment.