Limitations in the Assessment of DSM-IV Cannabis Tolerance as an Indicator of Dependence in Adolescents Article

Chung, T, Martin, CS, Cornelius, JR et al. (2004). Limitations in the Assessment of DSM-IV Cannabis Tolerance as an Indicator of Dependence in Adolescents . 12(2), 136-146. 10.1037/1064-1297.12.2.136

cited authors

  • Chung, T; Martin, CS; Cornelius, JR; Winters, KC; Langenbucher, JW

fiu authors

abstract

  • The usefulness of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual's (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) tolerance criterion as an indicator of dependence has been debated. The authors of this study evaluated the performance of DSM's cannabis tolerance criterion, operationally defined as a percentage increase in quantity needed to get high, in distinguishing adolescents with and without cannabis dependence. Two samples of adolescent cannabis users (ages 12-19) provided data (ns = 417 and 380). Tolerance, defined as a percentage increase (median increase = 300% and 175%, respectively, in the samples), had only moderate overall sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing those with and without cannabis dependence. Results suggest limitations of the DSM-IV's change-based operational definition of tolerance in adolescents.

publication date

  • May 1, 2004

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 136

end page

  • 146

volume

  • 12

issue

  • 2