Alcohol use disorders (alcohol abuse and dependence) are maladaptive patterns of alcohol consumption manifested by symptoms leading to clinically significant impairment or distress with DSM-IV alcohol dependence, in particular, being associated with considerable impairment (Hasin et al., 2007). As alcohol use disorders constitute one of the most prevalent public health problems in the United States, identification of factors that elevate the risk for alcohol dependence is highly important in developing more effective prevention and treatments (Hasin et al., 2007; Li et al., 2007).
