Emotion Regulation Interventions for Alcohol-Related Sexual Aggression

University of Washington

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sexual Aggression; Heavy Drinking

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness; Other: Alcohol consumption; Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03159468

STUDY00002103

1R21AA023811-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Rates of sexual assault are alarmingly high, and alcohol is consistently implicated in the majority of these assaults. Despite well-intentioned prevention efforts, this pandemic continues unabated, warranting the development of novel and innovative approaches to the reduction of sexual aggression. The goal of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of two brief online emotion regulation interventions for reducing alcohol-related sexual aggression in heavy episodic drinking young men with a sexual aggression history. Previous research suggests that emotion regulation difficulties are associated with both alcohol consumption and aggressive behavior. Despite the potential prevention utility of improving sexually aggressive men's emotion regulation skills in order to reduce their alcohol-related sexual aggression, this approach has yet to be explored. Thus, this study evaluates the effects of two brief online ER interventions - cognitive restructuring and mindfulness - on men's emotion regulation during a sexual aggression-related analogue. Additionally, these effects will be evaluated during both sober and intoxicated states through a laboratory- based alcohol administration experiment.

Enrollment: 209 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 21 to 30 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Single
• Male
• Age 21-30
• Heterosexually active within past year
• Heavy episodic drinker
• Self-reported history of sexual aggression

Exclusion criteria

• History of alcohol problems
• Medical condition or medications that contraindicate alcohol consumption

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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209 participants in 6 patient groups

Cognitive Restructuring & Alcohol Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief online training regarding the use of cognitive restructuring skills to cope with negative emotions. They will then consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.

Treatment:

Other: Alcohol consumption

Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring

Mindfulness & Alcohol Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief online training regarding the use of mindfulness skills to cope with negative emotions. They will then consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Other: Alcohol consumption

Nutrition Information & Alcohol Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive general information about nutrition. They will then consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.

Treatment:

Other: Alcohol consumption

Cognitive Restructuring & No Alcohol Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief online training regarding the use of cognitive restructuring skills to cope with negative emotions. They will then consume a non-alcoholic beverage in the lab.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring

Mindfulness & No Alcohol Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief online training regarding the use of mindfulness skills to cope with negative emotions. They will then consume a non-alcoholic beverage in the lab.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness

Nutrition Information & No Alcohol Condition

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will receive general information about nutrition. They will then consume a non-alcoholic beverage in the lab.