Finally, emotional and conduct difficulties were positively associated with alcohol problems in both boys and girls. The association was significantly mediated through personality characteristics in both genders, with a similar set of mediating variables (Fig. 3): in both sexes, the association was mediated through lower conscientiousness and lower emotional stability. In both sexes, emotional and conduct difficulties were also associated with lower levels of extraversion, which had a protective effect on alcohol problems; however, the overall association between emotional and conduct problems and alcohol problems was positive (more emotional and conduct difficulties more alcohol problems).
