without an AUD (e.g. Kessler et al., 1994). However, the gender difference is less pronounced in those who have both disorders concurrently (Grant, Hasin, & Dawson, 1996). Depression and alcohol use is complex, but a clear conclusion is that depressive symptoms are a vulnerability factor for the development of an AUD in both women and men (Hanna & Grant, 1997). Research has identified various developmental factors which may underlie the emergence in depressive symptoms among girls, including stress experiences and stress reactivity (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001). Some work has suggested that the depression and ruminative processes which often accompany depression in girls may make them more vulnerable to coping with alcohol and other drugs in early and mid-adulthood (Nolen-Hoeksema & Harrell, 2002; Harrell & Karim, 2008). Conversely, there is also a stronger relationship between substance use and depression among adolescent girls than boys (Hallfors, Waller, Bauer, Ford, & Halpern, 2005). Others have argued that higher rates of alcohol use among men are reflective of underlying depression which is masked by alcohol use (see, for example, Cooper, Frone, Russell, & Peirce, 1997). Additionally, some research suggests that the relationship between depression and elevated drinking for adolescent girls is associated with greater reported symptoms
