Clinical Research Directory

Examining the Role of Sensitivity to Uncertain Threat and Alcohol Response in Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder Following Sexual Assault in College Women

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether women who engage in heavy drinking with a history of sexual assault (SA) victimization show heightened baseline reactivity to uncertain threat (U-threat), whether alcohol reduces this reactivity and related anxiety, and how these processes link to real-world drinking behavior. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Test whether heavy drinking women with a history of SA display exaggerated baseline reactivity to U-threat. * In the lab, test whether alcohol intoxication is associated with decreases in reactivity to U-threat and subjective anxiety, particularly in heavy drinking women with a history of SA. * In the real-world, test associations between SA victimization, reactivity to U-threat, alcohol consumption, and anxiolytic relief. Participants will: * Complete a screening and orientation session * Complete two experimental lab sessions that will include intravenous (IV) administration of either 80mg% alcohol or placebo (saline), order counterbalanced * Complete daily ecological momentary assessments (EMA) surveys for 21 days * Wear a transdermal alcohol wrist biosensor (BACTrack Skyn) for 21-days

The BEAR Program for Women With Trauma Who Have Suicidal Thoughts

The current study aims to test the feasibility of a new form of group therapy for women who have a history of interpersonal trauma and current suicidal ideation. The Building Empowerment and Resilience (BEAR) Therapeutic group has been adapted for women who have experienced trauma and have current suicidal ideation. It incorporates psychological skills, psychoeducation about trauma and gender-based violence, and physical self-defense training, all within a therapeutic process. It will be implemented with women who have experienced interpersonal trauma (physical, sexual, or emotional abuse/neglect) and experience various mental health difficulties, including suicidal ideation. We aim to assess the feasibility to recruit and implement the BEAR group. Our ultimate aim is to assess whether the program can effect self-efficacy and suicidal ideation.

Post-traumatic Estradiol Administration and Care Evaluation (PEACE)

This pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of administering a single 6 mg oral dose of 17β-estradiol (E2) to individuals assigned female at birth who have experienced a sexual assault (SA) within the previous 120 hours. Thirty participants aged 18 to 45 years will be randomized 1:1 to receive either E2 or an identical-appearing placebo and followed for three months with blood collection and standardized assessments. The study will evaluate recruitment, enrollment, retention, biological responses, and preliminary clinical outcomes, including chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to inform the design of a future fully powered efficacy trial.

uSafeUS+ App Pilot Testing

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of an innovative mobile application (uSafeUS+) to reduce college student drinking and sexual assault (SA) risk in real time. Following an initial period of app development, this study will use a pilot 3-arm randomized controlled trial (N = 90; 30/arm) to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and initial evidence of efficacy of the novel, expanded uSafeUS+ app, relative to the existing SA-only focused uSafeUS app (already in use on 24 college campuses), and an assessment-only control condition. Specifically, the investigators aim to answer the following research questions: 1. Do students like the app (overall and specific features)? 2. How frequently do students use the app within the 1-month exposure period? 3. What barriers and facilitators impact app use? 4. Is there evidence of increased use of protective behaviors on drinking days and over time? 5. Is there evidence of decreased drinking (amount, frequency) or SA risk on drinking days and over time? Participants will complete: * A baseline assessment * A 1-month app exposure period with daily surveys about app use on the weekends * Follow-up surveys at 1- and 2-months post-intervention.

Positive Change for Sailors

Alcohol use and sexual violence are significant public health issues affecting military personnel. This study includes a pilot randomized control trial of Positive Change© for Sailors, an integrated alcohol and sexual assault prevention program tailored to U.S. Navy personnel. Active duty Sailors aged 18-24 will be randomized to receive Positive Change© for Sailors or an assessment-only control condition. Analyses will be conducted to assess feasibility and examine preliminary differences in behavior, perceived norms, and related attitudes immediately following the program and at a three month follow-up assessment.

Personalized Integrated Alcohol and Sexual Assault Prevention Among College Students

Heavy episodic drinking and sexual assault are problematic on college campuses. This study includes a randomized controlled trial of Positive Change (+Change), an integrated alcohol and sexual assault prevention program, compared to an attention-matched control condition across two universities in reducing alcohol use, sexual assault victimization, sexual assault perpetration, and increasing sexual assault bystander intervention. This study will also test the efficacy of +Change plus Booster session, an identical version of +Change delivered 6 months after the baseline, compared to +Change alone in long-term reductions in alcohol use, sexual assault victimization, sexual assault perpetration, and increases in sexual assault bystander intervention. This research is the next step of a NIAAA-funded planning grant (R34AA025691).

Evaluation of the Close to Home Program in California

Investigators propose to rigorously evaluate the Close to Home (C2H) model via a cluster-matched control trial across 18 diverse communities (9 C2H, 9 control) in California via collection and analyses of social network, school-based and social media data. Close to Home is a primary prevention community mobilization model implemented in 10 communities across California that engages community members across multiple sectors and social networks to strengthen community connections and shift social norms regarding sexual violence (SV), but has never been rigorously evaluated. C2H moves beyond criminal justice, lobbying, or school-based curricular approaches, taking a true community-level and community-led approach. This is a five-year project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for 3 years with competitive awards for years 4 and 5, and is conducted in partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and ValorUs (formerly CALCASA). The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and CDPH partnership is uniquely poised to conduct the first rigorous evaluation of C2H in California at this time.

Web-Based Treatment of Heavy Drinking Among Women With a History of Sexual Trauma

The goal of this study is to empirically evaluate a web-based intervention to reduce heavy drinking among college women with a history of sexual assault who display elevated levels of psychological distress. College women with a history of sexual assault often report more heavy drinking and psychological distress than women without a history of assault. Moreover, women with assault histories often have difficulty regulating their emotions and tolerating distress which can lead to a pattern of drinking to cope distress. Trauma exposure, negative mood, and poor coping strategies have been associated with poor treatment outcomes and relapse following alcohol treatment. Incorporating distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills with an alcohol intervention may enhance treatment effects among women with a history of sexual assault by decreasing their motivation to drink to cope with depression or anxiety and by building adaptive coping strategies. Therefore, the web-based intervention will include cognitive behavioral skills for reducing alcohol consumption and incorporate emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Reducing Alcohol Use and Sexual Dysfunction in Survivors of Sexual Trauma

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and evaluate the preliminary efficacy of an intervention to address alcohol use, sexual distress, and sexual assault risk among college women with a history of sexual victimization. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) what is the feasibility of the recruitment method, research design, interventionist training methods, and delivery of the intervention; 2) does the intervention, relatively to control, the 2- and 4-month follow-up produces reductions in the quantity/frequency of alcohol use and heavy drinking, sexual distress, and sex-related drinking motives, and sexual revictimization. Participants will engage in both individual and group based intervention for alcohol use, sexual distress, and sexual assault risk. Follow-up assessments are completed at 2- and 4-months following program completion. The intervention is compared to a wait list control group who will have the opportunity to complete the program after completing the 4-month follow up.

An Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for Adolescent Girls

Sexual violence (SV) perpetrated by dating partners and male acquaintances is common among adolescent girls in high school. Girls and young women who experience SV are likely to encounter negative mental and physical health consequences as well as lowered academic performance. While educational interventions to address the problem of SV are numerous, when evaluated, few show any capacity to reduce sexual violence victimization or perpetration. The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance program for female university students (ages 17-24) is a rare exception; in a rigorous trial, EAAA reduced attempted and completed rape by 50% in the following year. The current randomized controlled trial (RCT) will test whether a version of EAAA that has been adapted for younger girls (age 14-18) who have not graduated high school (called the Adolescent Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act \[A-EAAA\]) will result in similar benefits within a 6-month follow-up. The current RCT will be conducted across three sites in Ontario, Canada.

Evaluating a Digital Intervention to Improve Adolescent Condom Use and Communication

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness, likability, and implementation potential of PACT, an adapted digital program to teach non-heterosexual adolescent boys about sexual consent and condom negotiation in a randomized controlled trial over 9 months.

Improving HIV Prevention and Substance Use Post-Sexual Assault Services

The purpose of this study is to tailor existing sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) services with same-day HIV prophylaxis and substance use screening, brief intervention, or referral using semi-structured adolescents and young adults (AYA) survivor and key informant interviews, and iterative co-design/pilot testing of adapted strategies with the youth working group (YWG), to optimize study mechanisms and outcome measures using cognitive interviews, analysis of community partner data, and recruitment and retention strategies with the youth working group (YWG) and community advisory board (CAB), to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial with 40 AYA to test feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy compared to usual care, to evaluate recruitment, randomization, and follow-up strategies; adherence to intervention dose; retention benchmarks; and acceptability and to evaluate preliminary efficacy of outcome measures (uptake of post-assault HIV prevention and substance use treatment).

An Evaluation of an Online Sexual Assault Resistance Program (IDEA3)

The goal of this randomized trial is to test whether the Internet-Delivered Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (IDEA3) sexual assault resistance education intervention reduces sexual violence victimization in undergraduate women. Participants in the intervention group will be asked to attend four three-hour group sessions of a sexual assault resistance program called IDEA3 with a partner, as well as fill out a number of surveys. Participants in the control group will be asked to attend a one-hour consent workshop with a partner and fill out surveys. Researchers will compare sexual assault victimization between the groups in the one year following the intervention.

Code of Respect (X-CoRe): Trial of a Multi-level Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention Intervention for Active Duty Airmen

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of Code of Respect (X-CoRe) multi-level sexual assault (SA) and harassment (SH) prevention program in improving psychosocial determinants (e.g., knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, attitudes) related to respectful/disrespectful relationships, to examine the efficacy of X-CoRe in reducing SA and sexual harassment SH victimization and to examine the efficacy of X-CoRe increasing bystander behavior and improving unit cohesion and mission readiness by decreasing secondary risk and harmful behaviors (e.g., alcohol misuse, intimate partner violence, suicide ideation). The study will be conducted at at Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) located in Burlington County, New Jersey, and participants will be cluster-randomized at the level of the squadron to one of two conditions: the X-CoRe program or a control condition.