Objective:The aims of this study were to develop a simple and easy-to-use scale, named Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD) Severity Scale (MUDSS), and to complete the reliability and validity tests, so as to provide a new tool for the measurement of substance use.Methods:Participants with MUD ( n=286) were recruited from 2 compulsory isolated detoxification centers in Changsha, Hunan Province from April to September 2019. The item pool of MUDSS ( n=19) was obtained according to diagnostic items of stimulant use disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the opinions of experts in the field of addiction. The scale was applied to participants with MUD. Items of the scale were first screened according to the results of item analysis, and then the formal scale was formed. Exploratory factor analysis was used to construct the scale dimension, and the reliability of the total scale and each dimension were tested by Cronbach α coefficient. Pearson correlation analysis was used to verify criterion validity and DSM-5 was used as criterion. Results:The effective information of 257 subjects was collected. According to the results of item analysis, the fourth item from the preliminary MUDSS was deleted, and the remaining 18 items were included in the formal scale, including four dimensions: adverse consequences, tolerance, priority, and craving. The internal consistency coefficient of the total scale and the four dimensions ranged from 0.646 to 0.909, and the test-retest reliability ranged from 0.592 to 0.724. The correlation between MUDSS total score and DSM-5 was 0.654.Conclusions:The reliability and validity of MUDSS are good and have reached the standard of psychometrics, therefore it can be further applied in a larger sample of subjects with MUD.

Objective:The aims of this study were to develop a simple and easy-to-use scale, named Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD) Severity Scale (MUDSS), and to complete the reliability and validity tests, so as to provide a new tool for the measurement of substance use.Methods:Participants with MUD ( n=286) were recruited from 2 compulsory isolated detoxification centers in Changsha, Hunan Province from April to September 2019. The item pool of MUDSS ( n=19) was obtained according to diagnostic items of stimulant use disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the opinions of experts in the field of addiction. The scale was applied to participants with MUD. Items of the scale were first screened according to the results of item analysis, and then the formal scale was formed. Exploratory factor analysis was used to construct the scale dimension, and the reliability of the total scale and each dimension were tested by Cronbach α coefficient. Pearson correlation analysis was used to verify criterion validity and DSM-5 was used as criterion. Results:The effective information of 257 subjects was collected. According to the results of item analysis, the fourth item from the preliminary MUDSS was deleted, and the remaining 18 items were included in the formal scale, including four dimensions: adverse consequences, tolerance, priority, and craving. The internal consistency coefficient of the total scale and the four dimensions ranged from 0.646 to 0.909, and the test-retest reliability ranged from 0.592 to 0.724. The correlation between MUDSS total score and DSM-5 was 0.654.Conclusions:The reliability and validity of MUDSS are good and have reached the standard of psychometrics, therefore it can be further applied in a larger sample of subjects with MUD.