Visiting Assistant Professor Brad Linn, Professors Clara Bradizza and Paul Stasiewicz and colleagues publish article, "Heterogeneity in DSM-5 symptom criteria: Phenotypes of alcohol use disorder in a sample seeking alcohol treatment"

Kudos to Visiting Assistant Professor Brad Linn, Professor Clara Bradizza, Professor Paul Stasiewicz and their colleagues on the publication of their article, "Heterogeneity in DSM-5 symptom criteria: Phenotypes of alcohol use disorder in a sample seeking alcohol treatment" in Alcohol and Alcoholism.

Zhao, J., Linn, B. L., Bradizza, C. M., Lucke, J. F., Ruszczyk, M. U., Stasiewicz, P. R. (2020). Heterogeneity in DSM-5 symptom criteria: Phenotypes of alcohol use disorder in a sample seeking alcohol treatment. Alcohol and Alcoholism.

Aims: This study sought to identify phenotypic variations among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) that may, in part, help improve the effectiveness of existing AUD interventions.

Methods: Latent class analysis was conducted to examine the potential heterogeneity of AUD in a sample (N = 220; Mage = 51.19 years, standard deviation = 9.94; 37.7% female) of treatment-seeking participants diagnosed with AUD using DSM-5 criteria.

Results and conclusions: Three distinct patterns of responses to the 11 DSM-5 AUD symptoms emerged: Class 1 (n = 114, 51.8%), Class 2 (n = 78, 35.5%) and Class 3 (n = 28, 12.7%). The identified profiles were further differentiated by demographics, alcohol-related constructs, individual difference characteristics and diagnostic and treatment variables. The findings have implications for refining AUD assessment as well as optimizing personalized treatment.