Project Name: Project THRIVE
Principal Investigators: Emily Dworkin, PhD
Grant Title: Preventing Risky Drinking and PTSD After Sexual Assault: A Web-Based Intervention
Sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Project Period: 9/1/2019 – 8/31/2022
Grant Number: R00 AA026317
Project Coordinator: None
The long-term goal of the research plan is to develop an effective web- based early intervention strategy to mitigate high-risk drinking and PTSD in female survivors of sexual assault (SA), given that SA is a particularly common and deleterious form of trauma in this population that is commonly associated with co-occurring drinking problems and PTSD. The intervention will adapt existing evidence-based practices in a manner consistent with theory and research to target these outcomes by increasing social support and mitigating the harm of negative social reactions (e.g., victim blame). The K99 phase will involve the accomplishment of Specific Aims 1 and 2. Specific Aim 1, which is to use existing sources of expertise to inform the development of a prototype intervention, will be accomplished by consulting existing clinical manuals and conducting qualitative interviews and focus groups with community stakeholders serving survivors of SA. Specific Aim 2 involves eliciting feedback from survivors to inform changes that improve the usability of and user satisfaction with the prototype intervention. Specific Aims 3 (i.e., assess participant reaction to the intervention) and 4 (i.e., assess the impact of the intervention on learning and symptoms) will be accomplished in the R00 phase via a feasibility trial of the intervention with a sample of women who have recently been sexually assaulted.