How stress and sexual cues affect substance use in young women

Reward Enhancement and Stress as Cues for Substance use (RESCUES)

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · NIH-11335641

This project looks at how stress, sexual situations, and mood link to cravings and faster progression to problem substance use in young women.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN (nih funded)
Locations1 site (LINCOLN, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11335641 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you are a young woman who uses substances, this work will examine whether stress, sexual desire, and other cues trigger stronger cravings for you. Researchers will use surveys, mood and stress measures, and lab or real-world cue exposures to track cravings and substance use patterns over time. They will also study how anxiety and depressive symptoms interact with those cues to create a chain of behaviors that can escalate use. The goal is to find practical points where an intervention could interrupt cravings and prevent substance use from worsening.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Young adult women who use substances and who notice cravings that seem linked to stress, sexual situations, or mood and anxiety symptoms would be most relevant to this work.

Not a fit: People who do not use substances, men, or individuals whose cravings are unrelated to stress, sex-linked cues, or mood symptoms are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to prevention and treatment approaches tailored for young women that reduce cravings and stop substance use from escalating.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show women often have stronger stress- and cue-induced cravings, but tailored interventions for these mechanisms are limited, so this project builds on known findings while testing new targeted approaches.

Where this research is happening

LINCOLN, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Affective Disorders, Anxiety Disorders

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.