Gamified phone app to reduce drinking and support mental health for sexual minority women
Official title: Feasibility and Effectiveness of Gamified Digital Intervention to Prevent Alcohol and Mental Health Risks
Funded at Loyola Marymount University · NIH-11390907 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A gamified smartphone app gives personalized feedback and community challenges to help sexual minority women drink less and feel better mentally.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Loyola Marymount University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $469,713 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA031175-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11390907 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Sexual minority women (for example, lesbian, bisexual, or queer women) who use a smartphone and are concerned about their alcohol use or mental health, including those not currently in treatment.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe alcohol dependence, urgent psychiatric needs (such as active suicidal ideation), or those who are not sexual minority women are unlikely to benefit from this preventive app alone.
What this research studies
This project delivers a smartphone app that combines personalized feedback about drinking and coping with a social competition and community-style features designed to counter harmful stereotypes. Participants receive tailored messages comparing their drinking to norms, practical coping tools, and in-app social interactions to build support. The research team will enroll sexual minority women, collect baseline and follow-up surveys on alcohol use and mental health, and compare outcomes between app versions over several months. Earlier pilot work showed strong engagement and reductions in drinking and negative consequences over four months, and this trial tests the approach at larger scale.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could provide an accessible way for sexual minority women to lower risky drinking and improve psychological well-being without requiring formal treatment.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot trial of this app approach showed high user engagement and reductions in drinking and harms over four months, but larger-scale confirmation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Labrie, Joseph W. — Loyola Marymount University
- Study coordinator: Labrie, Joseph W.
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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.