A study of the reliability and validity of the korean version of the penn alcohol craving scale for alcohol-dependent patients

• Published in: Psychiatry investigation Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 175 - 178
• Main Authors: Kim, Min Jeong, Kim, Sung Gon, Kim, Hyo Jeong, Kim, Ho Chan, Park, Ji Heh, Park, Kwang Seok, Lee, Duk Ki, Byun, Won Tan, Kim, Cheol Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 01.09.2008; 대한신경정신의학회
• Subjects: Original; 정신과학; Korean version of the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale; Validity; Alcohol; Reliability
• ISSN: 1738-3684; 1976-3026
• DOI: 10.4306/pi.2008.5.3.175

The Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) is a stronger predictor of subsequent drinking and relapse of alcohol dependence that can be administered more quickly and easily than other craving scales. The goal of this study was to develop the Korean version of the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS-K). To examine the psychometric properties of the PACS-K, responses were chosen from 80 patients admitted to a treatment facility for alcohol dependence. The PACS-K possesses good psychometric properties, as assessed by Cronbach's alpha estimates (Cronbach's alpha=0.91). The test-retest reliability of the PACS-K showed high correlation (p<0.01) when the retest interval was 1 day. When the validity of the PACS-K was investigated using correlation analysis with two other craving scales (the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), high correlations were obtained between total PACS scores and total OCDS scores, and between total PACS scores and VAS scores (p<0.01, respectively). The PACS-K is a reliable and valid measure of alcohol cravings, and it could be useful for predicting which individuals are at risk for subsequent relapse.