There have been few studies on the prevalence of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence among adolescents in the general population (Kessler et al., 1994; Kilpatrick et al., 2000). Harford and colleagues (2005) reported the prevalence of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence and associated diagnostic criteria among adolescents and adults ages 12–65 years based on the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). In this analysis, among current drinkers, the prevalence of alcohol dependence was highest among respondents ages 18–23 years (males, 8.5 percent; females, 5.2 percent), followed by respondents ages 12–17 years (males, 4.6 percent; females, 4.5 percent). Similar patterns, though higher in prevalence, were present for alcohol abuse. The study noted the high prevalence among these young age groups of the DSM-IV criterion of tolerance (12–17: males, 21.5 percent; females, 20.6 percent; 18–23: males, 31.5 percent; females, 20.0 percent) and time spent getting alcohol or recovering from its effects (12–17: males, 16.5 percent; females, 17.2 percent; 18–23: males, 30.6 percent; females, 20.3 percent), estimates which research has shown may lead to misclassification and overestimation of alcohol dependence in this younger population.
