DSM III-R and ICD 10 Classifications of Alcohol Use disorders and Associated Disabilities: a structural analysis

A structural framework is developed for the purposes of evaluating and comparing the DSM III-R and ICD 10 classifications of alcohol abuse, harmful use, and alcohol dependence (syndrome). The analysis describes the origin of the diagnostic categories and presents a content analysis of the disorders in terms of their conceptual status and diagnostic criteria. The structural architecture of the alcohol use disorder categories and their positions within the larger classification systems are analysed with a view towards explicating their clinical and research implications. Two agendas for future work on the classification of alcohol abuse and dependence within larger diagnostic systems are outlined. One is directly based on the results of the structural analysis. The other explores the prospects for an all-embracing integrated psychiatric nomenclature and statistical classification.