A psychometric evaluation of the approach and avoidance of alcohol questionnaire among alcohol-dependent patients attending residential treatment

Despite research suggesting that alcohol-dependent individuals have both craving and avoidant tendencies for alcohol, few studies have measured self-report tendencies using the Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol Questionnaire (AAAQ). The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the AAAQ using a sample of adults receiving 12 step-based residential treatment for alcohol dependence. As part of a larger study, 100 adults receiving residential treatment completed the AAAQ and several other assessments shortly after treatment admission. Analyses of the AAAQ examined its factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent and predictive validity. A maximum likelihood estimation factor analysis using oblique rotation produced 3 factors accounting for 69 % of the variance. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the 3-factor model was a moderate fit for data from a second sample of patients. Internal consistency was fairly high and convergent validity was demonstrated by relationships with another scale of alcohol craving, time since last drink, and quantity and frequency of pre-treatment alcohol use. Regarding predictive validity, the level of approach tendencies on the AAAQ was significantly related to abstinence status during the first 6 months following treatment. Avoidance level was not related to abstinence. The results largely replicated past studies utilizing outpatient samples and suggest that the AAAQ shows promise as a psychometrically sound, internally reliable self-report craving measure for individuals with alcohol dependence.