Improving treatment for alcohol use disorder and co-occurring anxiety or depression
Official title: Developing and Evaluating a Positive Valence Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder with Anxiety or Depression
Funded at Laureate Institute for Brain Research · NIH-11092721 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores a new behavioral approach to help people manage alcohol use disorder alongside anxiety or depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Laureate Institute for Brain Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tulsa, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $244,768 |
| NIH project number | 5R34AA030688-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11092721 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder who also experience clinically significant anxiety or depression symptoms would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose alcohol use disorder is not accompanied by anxiety or depression, or who are not seeking behavioral therapy, may not directly benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Current treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) often don't work well long-term, especially for those also experiencing anxiety and depression. These conditions often share a problem with the "positive valence system," which affects how we experience pleasure and reward from non-drug activities. This project is developing a new behavioral therapy called Amplification of Positivity (AMP-A) to strengthen this system. AMP-A aims to increase your exposure and responsiveness to everyday, non-drug rewards. The goal is to refine this therapy to better help individuals with both AUD and anxiety/depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this new therapy could offer a more effective way for individuals with co-occurring AUD, anxiety, and depression to achieve long-term recovery and improved well-being.
How similar studies have gone: The core intervention (AMP) has shown promise in increasing positive emotions and improving brain responses to rewards in individuals with anxiety and depression, and a pilot study for AUD with anxiety/depression has been completed.
Where this research is happening
-
Laureate Institute for Brain Research
Tulsa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aupperle, Robin L — Laureate Institute for Brain Research
- Study coordinator: Aupperle, Robin L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Using a wearable device to reduce stress and anxiety in people with alcohol use disorder
This study is testing a new wearable device that helps reduce stress and anxiety for people dealing with alcohol use disorder by gently stimulating nerves in the skin, and it will check how well it works by looking at both physical markers and how participants feel.
-
Understanding anxiety in people recovering from alcohol use disorder
This study is looking at how the brain reacts to anxiety when people with alcohol use disorder stop drinking, and it hopes to find new ways to help those in recovery feel better.
-
Exploring the link between gut health, alcohol use, and depression
This study is looking at how the tiny germs in our gut might affect both drinking problems and feelings of sadness, with the hope of finding new ways to help people who struggle with both issues.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
Functional Connectivity-Guided TMS for Alcohol Use Disorder
A new approach uses targeted brain stimulation to help people with alcohol use disorder stay abstinent longer by focusing treatment on specific brain circuits.
-
Alcohol Use Disorder and Suicidal Behavior: Finding Why They Occur Together
A study using Swedish population data to understand why alcohol use disorder relates to suicidal thoughts and acts, with the goal of improving risk prediction and prevention.
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.