Protocol - Post-acute Withdrawal Signs and Symptoms
- Alcohol - 30-Day Quantity and Frequency
- Alcohol - Lifetime Use Disorder
- Patterns of Substance Use - Adults - Binge-Drinking
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adults - Alcohol - Lifetime
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adults - Drugs
- Self-reported Craving - General
- Substances - 30-Day Frequency
- Substances - Lifetime Substance Use Disorder
Description
The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) is a 90-item questionnaire used to assess psychological problems.
Specific Instructions
The PhenX Substance Use and Recovery Working Group (WG) notes that investigators may want to adapt the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) for inquiry into specific drugs (e.g., opioids, cannabis) and timeframes (e.g., past 90 days, past year). Although the SCL-90 was designed to assess psychological problems generally, there are many items that reflect post-acute withdrawal signs and symptoms, so researchers may consider using some of the subscales to assess for such signs and symptoms.
The Anxiety Subscale from the SCL-90 is included here and in the Anxiety Disorders Symptoms - Adult measure. Therefore, if both protocols are selected, the Anxiety Subscale should be included only one time.
Protocols may include terms and language that could be triggering to respondents. Investigators are encouraged to have resources in place to help respondents cope with triggers as needed.
Terminology related to substances, substance use, and recovery is fluid. Updates in protocol language may be appropriate based on circumstance. Suggestions for revision have been offered to update answer responses or other components of the questionnaires to account for the constantly changing landscape. These suggestions have not been tested or validated in research studies but may be considered by investigators to enhance relevance.
Availability
This protocol has limited availability; permission required for use.
Protocol
Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90)
The Medical Cannabis Use, Polysubstance Use, and Recovery Working Group recommends that investigators collect 65 items from 6 subscales of the SCL-90 specific to post-acute withdrawal assessment (somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety, anger-hostility, and phobic-anxiety).
The SCL-90 is a proprietary instrument, and administration requires a licensing agreement from The Gottman Institute, Inc. Copyright © 2000–2009 by Dr. John M. Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman.
Contact Information:
Dr. John M. Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, The Gottman Institute, Inc.
Website:
https://www.gottman.com/permission-request-form/
Personnel and Training Required
NoneEquipment Needs
NoneRequirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | Yes |
Mode of Administration
Self-administered questionnaire
Lifestage
Adult, Senior
Participants
Adults, ages 20 and older
Selection Rationale
Because there are currently no diagnostic criteria for post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS), the Medical Cannabis Use, Polysubstance Use, and Recovery Working Group selected the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). It is a validated scale for symptoms that are typical for PAWS that is freely available.
Language
English, Finnish
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
Not Applicable
Protocol Name from Source
Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90)
Source
Derogatis, L. R., Lipman, R. S., & Covi, L. (1973). SCL-90: An outpatient psychiatric rating scale—Preliminary report. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 9, 13–28.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Addition Research Center. (2024, June 19). Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL90).
https://arc.psych.wisc.edu/self-report/symptom-checklist-90-scl90/
General References
Derogatis, L. R., Rickels, K., & Rock, A. F. (1976). The SCL-90 and the MMPI: A step in the validation of a new self-report scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128(3), 280–289.
Dinning, W. D., & Evans, R. G. (1977). Discriminant and convergent validity of the SCL-90 in psychiatric inpatients. Journal of Personality Assessment, 41(3), 304–310.
Holi, M. M., Sammallahti, P. R., & Aalberg, V. A. (1998). A Finnish validation study of the SCL-90. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 97(1), 42–46.
Masal, E., Koç, M., Çolak, T. S., & Takunyaci, M. (2013). Analyzing the psychological symptoms of students in undergraduate program in elementary mathematics teaching. Educational Research and Reviews, 8(14), 1117.
Protocol ID
511701
Variables
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping |
|---|
Measure Name
Post-acute withdrawal signs and symptoms
Release Date
January 30, 2025
Definition
Post-acute withdrawal signs include psycho-biological signs and symptoms that persist in the absence of substance exposure during the early weeks, months, and sometimes years of remission caused by chronic exposure to toxic substances (e.g., alcohol, meth/amphetamine, heroin).
Purpose
Adequate assessment and medical- or self-management of post-acute withdrawal signs and symptoms are necessary to help prevent relapse and substance use disorder (SUD) recurrence. Salutary changes in withdrawal signs and symptoms represent psychobiological healing that helps build recovery resilience.
Keywords
Somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anger-hostility, phobic-anxiety, alcohol withdrawal
Measure Protocols
| Protocol ID | Protocol Name |
|---|---|
| 511701 | Post-acute Withdrawal Signs and Symptoms |
| 511702 | Post-acute withdrawal signs and symptoms - Craving |