be at play such that the relatively few individuals engaging in regular HED in early adolescence have a higher risk for depression due to behavioral, familial, and environmental risk factors. Alternatively, adolescents at-risk for depression may be more likely to use alcohol for self-medication than adults, potentially because their executive functioning abilities are not fully developed. Finally, heavy alcohol use during early adolescence may lead to an elevated risk for depressive symptoms by engendering short-term impairment in executive functioning; the diminished association in adulthood might suggest that any impairment is not long-term.
