Measuring tobacco withdrawal: a review of self-report questionnaires.

Little information exists on the various measures used to assess tobacco withdrawal. This article reviews the literature on the assessment of tobacco withdrawal, specifically comparing three commonly used self-report questionnaires of tobacco withdrawal. Several topics are discussed including (a) the frequency and duration of withdrawal assessment, (b) the determination of reliability and validity of self-report measures, (c) a comparison of the existing self-report instruments in terms of psychometric properties and other criteria, and (d) the physiological and behavioral assessment of tobacco withdrawal. Six recommendations for further research are offered.