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Aims The test the dimensionality and measurement properties of lifetime DSM-5 AUD criteria in a sample of adults from the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Design Cross-sectional study with survey data collected in 2013-2014. Setting General population. Participants Random household sample of the adult population 18 to 64 years of age in San Juan, Puerto Rico (N=1510; lifetime drinker N=1107). Measurement DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (2 or more criteria present in 12 months). Results Lifetime reports of AUD criteria were consistent with a one-dimensional model. Scalar measurement invariance was observed across gender, but measurement parameters for tolerance varied across age, with younger ages showing a lower threshold and steeper loading. Conclusions Results provide support for a unidimensional DSM-5 AUD construct in a sample from a Latin American country.

Knowledge about prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders and mental health services use among parents and relatives of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is limited, particularly when referring to epidemiologic samples. The current study is based on an island-wide probabilistic multistage cluster sample of adult individuals (N = 3062) living in Puerto Rico. Results showed a significantly higher rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and serious mental illness in parents (n = 34) or relatives (n = 34) of ASD individuals, as compared with the Puerto Rico adult population as a whole. Although not definitive because of the small sample size, the fact that the rates of mental health utilization were similar to the population sample suggests a need for greater attention by health professionals attending children with ASD to the needs for mental health services of both parents and relatives of individuals with ASD.