Brief Description
The PSCDI is a self-report instrument developed by Foulds and colleagues (Penn State) to measure dependence on cigarettes. This measure has been adapted to a version measuring dependence for electronic cigarettes (vapes) users—especially those who formerly smoked cigarettes, with very similar items reworded for e-cigarette use. The PSCDI and PSECDI both includes 10 items with varied response options inquiring about frequency of cigarette (or e-cigarette) use, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms. The PSCDI is useful for comparing dependence across products/devices and over time. Stability and craving are robust predictors; there is evidence that more stable use (less day-to-day variation) and stronger cravings are associated with higher dependence.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
10
Age Range for Administration
13+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
No recommended standard frequency
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The PSCDI versions include the same 10 items with a variety of response options varying by each question. See the scoring guide for specific details about how multiple choice options are interpreted in Blueprint's system.
Categorization | Score |
Not dependent | 0-3 |
Low dependence | 4-8 |
Medium dependence | 9-12 |
High dependence | 13+ |
Blueprint Adjustments
Blueprint does not currently offer write-in text options for assessments. Given this limitation, the response options for write in questions are replaced by multiple choice options, which correspond to scoring. This creates the limitation of not being able to calculate a mean cigarette average.
Due to current platform scoring limitations, Blueprint must assign a different value for each response (i.e., "Moderate" and "Strong" cannot both be "1’"). Thus, Blueprint utilizes values of ‘1’ and 1.01’ to denote ‘1’ and ‘0’ and ‘0.01’ for ‘0.’ Given that the scores are rounded to the nearest integer, this adjustment does not impact total score calculations.
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 2-5 minutes
There is some evidence for use among adolescents younger than ~13, or pre-teen users. For adolescent users, some items’ validity (e.g. time to first use upon waking) may be more variable because of different usage patterns and access.
Scores can serve as a starting point for conversations about patterns, triggers, and readiness to change.
It can be helpful to discuss use in the context of stress, anxiety, or co-occurring conditions, since vaping is often linked to self-medication.
Citation
Foulds, J., Veldheer, S., Yingst, J., Hrabovsky, S., Wilson, S. J., Nichols, T. T., & Eissenberg, T. (2015). Development of a questionnaire for assessing dependence on electronic cigarettes among a large sample of ex-smoking e-cigarette users. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(2), 186-192. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu204
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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