In this cross-sectional study, data from 202 German adolescent girls (ages 13-17 years) and their parents were utilized to test whether the relationship between parents' stressful life events and their daughter's substance use was mediated by higher levels of parents' depressive symptoms, lower quality of the relationship between the parents, and poor parenting behaviour. Structural equation modelling revealed that these family characteristics did not account for the link between parents' stressful life events and adolescent girl's substance use. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms that account for such linkages.