Bystander Help in Alcohol-Related Risk Among Young Adults
Official title: Characteristics and Contexts of Bystander Helping for Alcohol-Related Risk among Emerging Adults
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11417855 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with 18- to 21-year-olds looking at when and how bystanders intervene to reduce harm from peers’ risky drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $498,501 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030019-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417855 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young adults around 18–21 years who may witness or be involved in alcohol-related situations and can reflect on bystander responses.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without exposure to or interest in peer-based harm reduction may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on real-life situations where young adults witness hazardous drinking and considers what prompts someone to step in. Researchers will study both the moment-to-moment events and individual differences that influence whether bystanders help. The work builds on bystander intervention ideas from other areas like sexual safety to understand alcohol-related scenarios. The team will engage with the community advisory group and run a pilot to fine-tune how they collect data and what measures they use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform programs and messages that empower peers to intervene effectively and reduce alcohol-related harm.
How similar studies have gone: Prior bystander research in other domains suggests interventions can influence helping behaviors, but this area is less studied for hazardous drinking and may be novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barnett, Nancy P — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Barnett, Nancy P
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.