Emotion Regulation Interventions for Alcohol-Related Sexual Aggression

Alcohol-Related Sexual Aggression: An Emotion Regulation Intervention

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Heavy Drinking; Sexual Aggression
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring; Other: Alcohol consumption; Behavioral: Mindfulness

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 209
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98105
      • University of Washington

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive Restructuring & Alcohol Condition; 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.	Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring; Participants receive didactic instruction regarding cognitive restructuring skills and then practice using these skills in hypothetical situations.; Other: Alcohol consumption; Participants consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.
Experimental: Mindfulness & Alcohol Condition; 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.	Other: Alcohol consumption; Participants consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.; Behavioral: Mindfulness; Participants receive didactic instruction regarding mindfulness skills and then practice using these skills in hypothetical situations.
Experimental: Nutrition Information & Alcohol Condition; Participants will receive general information about nutrition. They will then consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.	Other: Alcohol consumption; Participants consume an alcoholic beverage in the lab.
Experimental: Cognitive Restructuring & No Alcohol Condition; 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.	Behavioral: Cognitive Restructuring; Participants receive didactic instruction regarding cognitive restructuring skills and then practice using these skills in hypothetical situations.
Experimental: Mindfulness & No Alcohol Condition; 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.	Behavioral: Mindfulness; Participants receive didactic instruction regarding mindfulness skills and then practice using these skills in hypothetical situations.
No Intervention: Nutrition Information & No Alcohol Condition; Participants will receive general information about nutrition. They will then consume a non-alcoholic beverage in the lab.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sexual Aggression Intentions	Sexual Aggression Intentions Scale. Construct: Self-reported ratings of sexual aggression likelihood in a hypothetical scenario. Minimum value of 1 ("Very unlikely"). Maximum value of 7 ("Very likely"). Higher scores mean a worse outcome.	Within one hour after receiving the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Washington
• Collaborators: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA); Arizona State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 31, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 29, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): June 29, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 12, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): May 18, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 26, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 24, 2019
• Last Verified: July 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Aggression
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00002103; 1R21AA023811-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No