Reducing Alcohol Use and Sexual Dysfunction in Survivors of Sexual Trauma (AWARE)

April 27, 2026 updated by: Lindsay Orchowski Ph.D., Lifespan
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.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
86

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02904
        • Rhode Island Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 24 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. be between the ages of 18 and 24;
  2. speak and comprehend English;
  3. report a history of attempted or completed penetrative or non-penetrative acts of sexual victimization (i.e., oral, vaginal, anal) since age 14 via incapacitation, coercion, or force;
  4. report exceeding the national recommended limits for daily drinking (4 or more for women) on one or more occasions in the past 6 months;
  5. report past year sexual activity;
  6. exceed the clinical cut point on the Female Sexual Functioning Index (score of 28.1 or lower) or exceed the cut point for the 13-item Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (score of 11 or higher)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. suicide risk on items from the Beck Depression Inventory;
  2. screen positive on the Alcohol Use Withdrawal Checklist.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: AWARE Program
The AWARE program addresses alcohol use, sexual distress and sexual revictimization risk.
Behavioral: AWARE
AWARE addresses alcohol use, sexual distress, and sexual assault risk among college women with a history of sexual victimization.
No Intervention: Control Group
The comparison is a wait list control group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Alcohol Use
Time Frame: Change from baseline alcohol use at 4 months.
The number of past month drinking days (Minmum = 0, Maximum = 30), average drinks per drinking day (Minmum = 0, Maximum = unspecificed), number of heavy drinking days (Minimum = 0, Maximum = 30), assessed via the Time Line Follow Back, with greater scores meaning worse outcomes.
Change from baseline alcohol use at 4 months.
Sexual Distress
Time Frame: Change from overall levels of sexual dysfunction at 4 months.
Assessed via the Female Sexual Dysfunction Index, Minimum = 2, Maximum = 36 with higher scores meaning worse outcomes, and the Female Sexual Distress Scale, Minimum = 0, Maximum = 52 with lower scores meaning worse outcomes.
Change from overall levels of sexual dysfunction at 4 months.
Sexual Victimization
Time Frame: Reductions in severity and frequency of victimization in comparison to control at 4 months.
Assessed via the Sexual Experiences Survey. Scored based on frequency and severity, Minumum = 0, Maximum = 63, higher scores means worse outcomes.
Reductions in severity and frequency of victimization in comparison to control at 4 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sex-Related Drinking Expectancies
Time Frame: Change in sexual related drinking expectancies at 4 months.
Assessed via the Sex Related Alcohol Expectancies, Minimum = 14, Maximum = 70
Change in sexual related drinking expectancies at 4 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Lifespan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 14, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 25, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 28, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 31, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R34AA028402 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data will be shared using the National Institute of Mental Health Data Archive (NDA).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

The research team will submit data on or before the NDA submission due dates (April 1 and October 1 each year) in accordance with the applicable Data Sharing Terms and Conditions of award.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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