Test of Effects of Social Conflict on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Alcohol A

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的项目旨在为私家侦探在学术医学环境中的临床科学家的职业生涯做好准备，研究项目的重点是针对共病酒精使用障碍和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的干预措施的发展和评估。因此，拟议的培训计划系统地针对以下方面的培训：1)创伤后应激障碍和酒精使用障碍（AUDs），重点是相关的共病；2)社会功能（重点是社会冲突）；3)开展和利用转化研究来指导治疗开发；4)治疗评估。这些培训目标的设计是通过主要和次要发起人的密集现场指导、重点课程、有针对性的临床活动、非现场培训机会和整个申请过程中描述的传播活动的可行组合来实现的。总的来说，这些活动将成为实现目标的关键跳板

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project aims to prepare the P.I. for a career as a clinical scientist in an academic medical setting with a program of research focused on the development and evaluation of interventions targeting comorbid alcohol use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Accordingly, the proposed training plan systematically targets training in 1) PTSD and alcohol use disorders (AUDs), with an emphasis on related comorbidity, 2) social functioning (with an emphasis on social conflict), 3) conducting and employing translational research to inform treatment development, and 4) treatment evaluation. These training goals were designed to be addressable via the feasible combination of intensive on-site mentoring from a primary and secondary sponsor, focused coursework, targeted clinical activities, off-site training opportunities, and dissemination activities describd throughout the application. Collectively, these activities will serve as a critical springboard for the P.I. in her pursuit of the above-stated career goal by yielding training in the use of advanced laboratory-based methods to understand possible maintaining mechanisms common to both PTSD and alcohol use disorders. The proposed research project will enhance training for the above-stated career targeted by the P.I. by providing valuable experience in the administration of a methodologically-advanced, controlled, laboratory- based study of social conflict among 70 adult hazardous drinkers with at least subthreshold PTSD. The primary aim of the study is to investigate the effects of social conflict on both state posttraumatic stress symptoms and alcohol approach bias. Posttraumatic stress symptom reactions will be measured via self-report of symptoms and facial electromyography-measured responses; alcohol approach bias will be measured via self-reported craving levels and the alcohol-related Approach-Avoidance Task. Participants will be randomly assigned (stratified by participant sex) to either a neutral social script or a social conflict script condition. It is predicted that participants in the social conflct condition, compared to those in the neutral social condition, will evidence greater posttraumatic stress symptom reactions and alcohol approach bias in response to script administration. It is further predicted that these effects will be greater for women than men. Importantly, this study will address a clinically significant gap in existing research, which has not examined social conflict as a possible common maintaining mechanism in PTSD/hazardous alcohol use comorbidity. The proposed project is demonstrably significant in light of research suggesting individuals with comorbid PTSD/AUD experience many particularly severe problems, including but not limited to, poorer quality of life and worse treatment outcomes compared to those who are diagnosed with only one of the aforementioned disorders. Accordingly, the proposed program of training and research has considerable potential to ultimately impact the significant public health burden posed by comorbid PTSD/AUDs.