Cross-cultural comparability of DSM-IV-criteria for alcohol dependence – Findings from classical and modern test theory

Aims: To compare national prevalence rates it is necessary to have an assessment instrument that is “culture-fair“. Recent research showed that especially DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence are differently understood across countries. Item-Response-Theory (IRT) provides a framework to evaluate the cross-country comparability of psychological instruments guaranteeing invariant measurement across samples. Method: Data was provided by the project “Standardizing Measurement of Alcohol Related Troubles“ (SMART). DSM-IV-criteria for alcohol dependence were available for N=1889 individuals in nine European countrie…