A mixed-methods approach to understanding stress and hazardous drinking among same-sex female couples

项目摘要/摘要。 性少数群体妇女(如女同性恋者、双性恋者)达到以下标准的可能性是异性恋妇女的6-7倍 酒精使用障碍，表明危险饮酒(HD)和相关的负面健康风险高得不成比例 结果。SMW的HD风险增加被认为在很大程度上是由于终身暴露于多种和慢性的 压力源。尽管压力和HD之间的联系已经确立，但人们对它们之间的关系知之甚少 特性影响SMW的应力和HD。亲密关系会带来很多好处，并起到保护作用 对抗与压力相关的负面健康后果。相反，人际关系压力可能会导致不健康的应对行为， 例如HD。这项拟议的研究旨在了解HD在同性女性夫妇中的作用， 以及个人和夫妇层面的量化数据。K99阶段的具体目标是：1)探索 夫妻关系因素、压力源和HD之间的关联；以及2)确定个人级别的体验 在影响饮酒行为的同性女性伴侣中。这条通往独立之路的主要目标 奖项是加速和完成Cindy Veldhuis博士在酒精相关研究方面的培训并启动 作为一名独立科学家，她获得了终身教职助理教授的职位。Veldhuis博士是一位心理学家 和哥伦比亚大学NIH/NIAAA F32国家服务研究奖(F32AA025816)资助的博士后研究员 大学。为期两年的K99阶段将完成Veldhuis博士关于#年性取向相关健康差异的培训 高清。在导师的指导下，Veldhuis博士将：1)招募和面试同性伴侣的样本(N=50对夫妇) 来自纽约市地区；2)使用混合方法检查夫妇之间的HD和压力，以了解 高危人群中HD的预测因素；3)参加与酒精使用和滥用有关的课程、研讨会和会议， 性少数民族健康，混合方法和二元分析，以及职业发展；4)领导自己的研究 SMW的健康状况；5)传播她的发现；6)在一所研究密集型大学获得终身教职。 建议的主要导师John Pachankis博士、共同导师LeBlanc博士和Hughes博士以及咨询小组成员 斯通、乔治、凯斯和施里姆肖博士是拟议中的K99/R00的关键部件方面的专家，并共同 提供理想的专业知识，以促进成功完成拟议的培训和研究活动。 哥伦比亚大学是世界上最受尊敬的研究中心之一，也是世界级的机构，因此拥有 成功完成本拟授予的培训(K99)阶段所需的资源。三年R00阶段 将允许Veldhuis博士：1)招募地理和人口统计学上不同的全国同性女性样本 夫妇(N=300对)；2)使用经验证的K99研究结果检验理论框架 个人和夫妇层面的措施；3)建立她的研究和实验室计划；4)提交R01到 NIH/NIAAA。这项拟议的研究扩展了Veldhuis博士的F32研究结果，以了解个人和夫妇是如何 同性关系的水平特征会影响HD，并将为她的R01应用提供初步数据。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT. Sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual) are 6-7 times as likely as heterosexual women to meet criteria for alcohol use disorder, indicating a disproportionately high risk of hazardous drinking (HD) and associated negative health outcomes. SMW's elevated HD risk is believed to be caused, in large part, by lifetime exposure to multiple and chronic stressors. Although the association between stress and HD is well-established, little is known about how relationship characteristics influence stress and HD among SMW. Intimate relationships confer many benefits and are protective against stress-related negative health outcomes. Conversely, relationship stress may lead to unhealthy coping behaviors, such as HD. The proposed study aims to understand the role of HD within same-sex female couples using both qualitative and quantitative data at both the individual- and couple-levels. The specific aims for the K99 phase are to: 1) Explore associations among couple-level relationship factors, stressors, and HD; and 2) Identify individual-level experiences within same-sex female couples that influence drinking behaviors. The major goals of this Pathway to Independence Award are the acceleration and completion of Dr. Cindy Veldhuis' training in alcohol-related research and the launching of her career as an independent scientist with a tenure-track assistant professor position. Dr. Veldhuis is a psychologist and a postdoctoral fellow funded by an NIH/NIAAA F32 National Service Research Award (F32AA025816) at Columbia University. The two-year K99 phase will complete Dr. Veldhuis' training in sexual-orientation-related health disparities in HD. With mentorship, Dr. Veldhuis will: 1) recruit and interview a sample of same-sex female couples (N=50 couples) from the New York City area; 2) use a mixed-methods approach to examine HD and stress within couples to understand predictors of HD in this at-risk population; 3) attend courses, seminars, and conferences related to alcohol use and misuse, sexual minority health, mixed-methods and dyadic analyses, and professional development; 4) lead her own study on SMW's health; 5) disseminate her findings; and 6) secure a tenure-track faculty position at a research-intensive university. The proposed primary mentor Dr. John Pachankis, co-mentors Dr. LeBlanc and Dr. Hughes, and advisory panel members Drs. Stone, George, Keyes, and Schrimshaw are experts in key components of the proposed K99/R00 and collectively provide expertise ideally suited to facilitate the successful completion of the proposed training and research activities. Columbia University is one of the world's most respected research centers and a world-class institution, and thus has the resources needed for successful completion of the training (K99) phase of this proposed award. The three-year R00 phase will allow Dr. Veldhuis to: 1) recruit a geographically and demographically diverse national sample of same-sex female couples (N = 300 couples); 2) test a theoretical framework informed by the K99 findings using empirically validated individual- and couple-level measures; 3) establish her program of research and laboratory; and 4) submit an R01 to NIH/NIAAA. The proposed study extends findings from Dr. Veldhuis' F32 to understand how individual- and couple- level characteristics of same-sex relationships influence HD and will provide preliminary data for her R01 application.