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Daily Predictors of Alcohol Use among Sexual Violence Survivors: The Role of Intraindividual Changes in Sleep Duration and PTSD Symptoms

Award Number: F31AA028996
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

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Project Summary Researchers have identified alcohol use as a common concern among women who have experienced sexual violence (SV), with important public health implications. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following sexual victimization may contribute to these increased rates of alcohol use. The predominant theoretical explanation for these associations is the self-medication hypothesis, which posits that sexual violence survivors use alcohol in order to cope with the psychological distress associated with acute experiences of PTSD. Despite the temporal, within-person nature of this theory, little attention has been given to daily associations between acute PTSD symptoms, trauma-related drinking to cope, and ensuing alcohol use by SV survivors. Moreover, little research has examined sleep duration as a factor that may play an important role in this process, despite emerging theory suggesting that sleep loss has crucial effects on affective functioning and may exacerbate daily PTSD symptoms. Drawing on these findings, the central hypotheses in the present study are that shorter than usual sleep duration is likely to have a proximal effect on increased PTSD symptoms the next day, and that greater than usual PTSD symptoms will in turn predict increased alcohol use later that day through increased trauma-related drinking to cope motives. In addition, we expect that acute PTSD symptoms and trauma-related drinking to cope may be a serial indirect pathway through which shorter than usual sleep duration leads to increased next-day alcohol consumption among female SV survivors. To test these hypotheses, a sample of 80 community women with a history of sexual violence who are problematic drinkers will complete repeated daily measures of sleep duration, PTSD symptoms, trauma- related drinking to cope, and alcohol use over three weeks using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Sleep duration each night will be assessed using an integrated measure of actigraphy and self-report; self- reported PTSD symptoms, trauma-related drinking to cope motives and alcohol use will be assessed via cell prompts sent to participants three times a day in the morning, afternoon, and evening. These innovative methodological approaches will permit a prospective examination of dynamic symptom changes to capture daily predictors of increased alcohol use. Findings from this study are expected to clarify key proximal processes that promote acute drinking behaviors among women who have experienced sexual violence. Results may inform the development of effective intervention strategies to reduce drinking to cope among sexual assault survivors and, in turn, help prevent alcohol use and related health consequences in this population.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = -$10,199 )
2024	2023	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST # 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	3	4/24/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$10,199
														Subtotal = -$10,199

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $13,240 )
2023	2023	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	3	4/6/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,917
2023	2023	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	3	2/23/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$11,323
														Subtotal = $13,240

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $46,752 )
2022	2022	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	2	1/21/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$46,036
2022	2022	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	2	5/26/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$716
														Subtotal = $46,752

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $46,036 )
2021	2021	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	1	3/31/2021	NEW	$0
2021	2021	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	1	2/26/2021	NEW	$46,036
2021	2021	BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA	2200 VINE ST BOX 830861	LINCOLN	NE	68503	LANCASTER	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	002	1	3/31/2021	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $46,036

Grand Total All Awards = $95,829

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Daily Predictors of Alcohol Use among Sexual Violence Survivors: The Role of Intraindividual Changes in Sleep Duration and PTSD Symptoms

Award Number: F31AA028996

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

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