The Withdrawal Syndrome Scale for Alcohol and Related Psychoactive Drugs Inter-Observer Reliability and Construct Validity
- 1 January 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Nordisk Psykiatrisk Tidsskrift
- Vol. 43 (4), 291-294
- https://doi.org/10.3109/08039488909101966
Abstract
The Withdrawal Syndrome Scale (WSA) has been analysed for its construct validity by using the original sample of 293 patients with withdrawal states after alcohol, related psychoactive drugs, or a mixture of alcohol and drugs. Latent structure analysis showed that the seven items of the WSA can be rank-ordered along a single dimension of severity. Hence pulse, tremor, and agitation define the low degrees of withdrawal, whereas increased temperature, sweating, disorientation, and hallucinations define the severe degrees. However, the increased-temperature item was among the low degrees in females and in patients with an age of 50 years or more. The inter-observer reliability of the scale was adequate. The nursing staff found the WSA effective and safe as a guideline for anti-abstinence treatment with phenobarbital.Keywords
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