Russian Version of the Reasons for Heavy Drinking Questionnaire: the study of psychometric properties and validation

Abstract

The heterogeneity of the clinical presentation of alcohol use disorder significantly affects the effectiveness of a standardized approach to the treatment of the disease and requires the use of targeted interventions based on an understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes. Experimental studies of using drinking motive phenotypes for developing personalized treatment approaches had promising results and have demonstrated the theoretical and practical relevance of their further investigation and assessment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Reasons for Heavy Drinking Questionnaire. For this study 163 patients (108 men (71%), mean age 43.00 years [38.00;43.00] (Mdn [Q1; Q3]), mean disease duration 10 years [4.00;17.00] (Mdn[Q1; Q3]) undergoing inpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder were recruited. The following instruments were used: clinical interview, Reward, Relief, Habit Drinking Scale, Penn Alcohol Craving Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Carver and White’s BIS/BAS scale. The results did not confirm the factor structure proposed by the authors of the questionnaire. However, two factors - "Positive Reinforcement" and "Normalization and Habit" - were identified. Multiple significant correlations were also identified between drinking motivation phenotypes and clinical and psychological characteristics (previous treatment experience and periods of alcohol remission, emotional impairment, behavioral activation and inhibition in response to reward and punishment, and another scale for assessment of reward, relief, and habit drinking motives).