Game to help teens cut back on drinking
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Game-Based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use among Youth
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11370846 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers a youth-informed digital game meant to help teenagers prevent and reduce alcohol use and related harms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $688,243 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030017-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370846 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents and young people who are at risk for or currently engage in alcohol use and are willing to participate in a digital intervention and follow-up surveys.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe alcohol dependence needing clinical detox or intensive treatment, older adults, or anyone unable or unwilling to use a digital game likely would not benefit from this intervention alone.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be one of about 1,992 young people who are randomly assigned to either play Singularities—a theory-based, youth-informed digital game designed to prevent and reduce drinking—or an attention-control activity. Researchers will follow everyone at 3, 6, and 12 months to compare alcohol-related harms and other health risk behaviors over time. A smaller group of about 60 teens will try the game without incentives to see how it works in a real-world setting. The game was pilot tested previously and was rated highly acceptable by youth, and this larger trial aims to confirm whether it lowers drinking and harms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the game could help teens reduce alcohol use and lower alcohol-related harms over the short and longer term.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot of this game showed high acceptability among youth, but game-based alcohol interventions are relatively new and require larger trials like this one to confirm effectiveness.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Coulter, Robert W.s. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Coulter, Robert W.s.
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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.