The Drug Dependence Syndrome and Related Disabilities

While the dependence syndrome has been extensively studied in alcohol patients, much less information is available about this syndrome in drugs other than alcohol. Since the core symptoms of the dependence syndrome have been defined as comprising a dimension of disability distinct from social, health and other consequences of substance abuse, we examined the relationships of dependence syndrome symptoms and related problems for drugs. We included cannabis, stimulants, barbiturates, tranquilizers, cocaine, opiates and hallucinogens in our analyses. Results showed high clustering of dependence symptoms with each other and with health, social and emotional problems attributed to drug use. This supports the syndrome concept for the core dependence symptoms, but not the concept that the symptoms form distinct dimensions from associated problems.