A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF SELF-ESTEEM AND ALCOHOL-USE DISORDERS IN EARLYADULTHOOD - EVIDENCE FOR GENDER DIFFERENCES

The relations among gender, self-esteem, and DSM-III alcohol use disor der diagnoses were examined in a sample of 217 men and 240 women evalu ated at four annual assessments over the college years. The results su pport clinical observations that low self-esteem plays a particularly important etiological role in alcohol problems in women relative to me n. Women who had an alcohol use disorder during years 3 and/or 4 showe d relatively low levels of self-esteem throughout the study period. Fu rthermore, the study provides clear evidence for prospective predictio n from year 1 self-esteem to year 4 alcohol use disorder diagnosis for women, but not for men. There was minimal evidence to suggest that al cohol use predicts later self-esteem.