Reducing Alcohol Use and Sexual Dysfunction in Survivors of Sexual Trauma

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alcohol misuse and sexual assault are significant public health problems, especially among college women. Heavy drinking is a primary risk factor for sexual victimization and increases risk for revictimization and sexual dysfunction. Sex-related distress is also a common – yet rarely addressed – consequence of sexual victimization. Women with a history of sexual victimization report drinking to cope with sex-related distress; thereby increasing risk for revictimization. Despite strong associations between alcohol use, sexual distress, and sexual victimization among college women, there are no interventions that concurrently target these intersecting health outcomes. The proposed research will therefore develop an intervention that integrates evidence-based alcohol intervention strategies, techniques to reduce sex-related distress, and sexual assault risk reduction and resistance education with the goal of decreasing revictimization among sexually active college women with a history of sexual victimization who report heavy drinking and sex-related distress; a particularly high-risk group. Following a Stage 1A and 1B treatment development model, in Stage 1A information from informant interviews (N = 10) three focus groups (N = 30), stakeholder interviews (N = 6), and a campus advisory board will guide the development of the integrated intervention. The integrated intervention will be tested in an open trial (N = 20) in which interview and self-report methods will be utilized to gather information regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The intervention will be revised and then evaluated in a Stage 1B randomized pilot trial involving 90 women assigned to the proposed intervention or an attention and dose-matched control group. Women will be followed at 2- and 6- months post-baseline. In the Revision Phase, we will conduct exit interviews and revise the intervention to prepare for a larger clinical trial. Results of this research are expected to inform the development of interventions that not only target the intersection of alcohol use and sexual assault among college women, but also promote the overall sexual health of women. This integrated approach represents a shift in how these public health problems are typically addressed and has the potential to be widely disseminated and tailored for other populations.