Preliminary tests of DCF performed prior to the 4-group model produced evidence that, irrespective of DUI status, women were more likely than men to report drinking larger amounts or for longer periods of time than intended, spending so much time drinking or recovering that there was little time for anything else, and continued drinking despite physical or psychological problems, and less likely than men to report social or interpersonal problems due to drinking. Similar evidence of measurement non-equivalence for drinking despite psychological and physical problems was found in a population-based sample using measures based on the previous 12 months, with females more likely than males at similar levels of alcohol problem severity to endorse it (Harford et al., 2009). This criterion also showed gender heterogeneity with regard to cannabis abuse and dependence criteria in the NESARC (Agrawal and Lynskey, 2007). This consistency across samples and substances warrants examination of drinking despite physical or psychological problems to elucidate reasons for this gender difference which could potentially help improve treatment outcomes for women.
