The Chemical Use, Abuse, and Dependence Scale (CUAD). Rationale, reliability, and validity.

This article describes the rationale for the development of the Chemical Use, Abuse, and Dependence Scale (CUAD). The instrument is in a semistructured interview format; it derives both substance use severity scores and DSM-III-R substance use disorder diagnoses and can be administered in a short period with minimal training. The reliability and validity of the CUAD are reported and appear satisfactory. The CUAD is recommended for use as a detection, diagnostic, and treatment selection index in clinical, research, and program evaluation contexts.