Certain childhood characteristics are thought to increase the
risk of adolescent AUDs and early identification of these characteristics
can be helpful in preventing or attenuating the risk
(Thatcher and Clark, 2008). For instance childhood psychological
dysregulation is a behavioural phenotype that reflects
an individual’s vulnerability to developing an AUD in adolescence
(Tarter et al., 2003; Thatcher and Clark, 2008).