THRIVE app to reduce PTSD symptoms and alcohol use after sexual assault
Official title: Project THRIVE: Testing an app-based early intervention to reduce alcohol use and PTSD after sexual assault
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11373207 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An easy-to-use phone app aims to help college students who recently experienced sexual assault lower traumatic stress and harmful drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | April 10, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $639,768 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030541-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373207 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are college students who recently experienced sexual assault and are experiencing early posttraumatic stress symptoms or increased alcohol use.
✕Less likely to help
People without a recent sexual assault, without PTSD symptoms or problematic drinking, or those who need intensive in-person therapy may not benefit from this app-based approach.
What this research studies
You would use THRIVE, a phone app made to support recent college sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress and drinking. The research team will revise the app using feedback from earlier users and then run an optimization trial to find the simplest, most effective, and lowest-burden version. During the trial you would use the app and complete short surveys and brief activities over weeks to months. The project focuses on increasing access for students who avoid or cannot get in-person care, including men and racial/ethnic minority students.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, THRIVE could offer a low-barrier, readily available way for college survivors to reduce PTSD symptoms and risky drinking soon after assault.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot of THRIVE showed reductions in both PTSD and alcohol misuse, so this optimization builds on promising initial results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jaffe, Anna E. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Jaffe, Anna E.
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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.