Most questionnaires have been designed as pencil and paper tests that are relatively quick to complete and to score. In this way clients are not presented with a barrage of paperwork and agency workers are not overloaded when it comes to interpretation. There follows a brief description of some of the more commonly used questionnaires. SADQ differed from those that had gone before in that its development stemmed from a recognition of an alcohol dependence syndrome, whilst observing a distinction between features of that syndrome and the consequences and problems which may be associated with heavy non-dependent drinking. It is designed to measure dependence on a number of substances, not only alcohol.
Dependence here is viewed as a purely psychological phenomenon.
Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are seen only as consequences of regular, heavy use. The difficulty in doing this lies in being able to establish a causal connection between drinking and problems. This is difficult as it is usually dependent on subjective self-reporting on the part of respondents to the questionnaires. The findings of a study carried out on the APQ in 19934 added further weight to the premise that alcohol-related problems can be viewed as distinct from dependence. Whilst this is the case, there are still some barriers to interventions in these settings being carried out.