Interventions for At-Risk College Drinkers

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests support for an Independent Scientist Award (K02) for Kate Carey, PhD, and describes the applicant's research and career development plans. Dr. Carey's career goals are: (a) to develop, implement, and evaluate motivational interventions for risky drinking college students that are sensitive to the developmental context of college drinking; (b) to refine data analytic skills necessary to conduct state-of-the science longitudinal studies and to evaluate mechanisms and correlates of intervention related change; and (c) to mentor junior colleagues in the development and evaluation of alcohol abuse based prevention interventions. The research plan includes two currently funded and one planned study that evaluate the efficacy of brief motivational interventions (BMIs) in college drinkers. Study 1 recruits at-risk drinkers and compares a basic BMI to a BMI enhanced with a decisional balance exercise to an assessment-only control; participants provide assessment data at baseline, post-intervention, 1-, 6-, and 12- month follow-ups. Study 2 recruits students who are mandated to an intervention because of alcohol violations of school policy; in this study, the basic BMI is compared to a CD-ROM alcohol education program, with the same assessment schedule being used in Study 1. Study 3 will recruit students who have violated residence hall alcohol policies, and will compare the basic BMI with the CD-ROM educational tool. For all three studies, hypotheses regarding mediators and moderators of intervention effects will be evaluated. These and future research projects form a program of research that will test the efficacy of BMIs for selective and indicated prevention, and clarify the mechanisms through which they work. The proposed award would allow the applicant protected time to expand her alcohol interventions research, to acquire new and strengthen existing scientific skills, to collaborate with other senior scientists, and to provide research training to junior scientists.