Understanding how bystanders can help with problematic alcohol use among college students
Official title: Development and Validation of Remaining Measures to Assess the Bystander Intervention for Problematic Alcohol Use Model (BIPAUM)
Funded at University of North Carolina Charlotte · NIH-10974797 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how college students can help each other when they see someone drinking too much, and it aims to create tools that help us understand why some people step in to help while others don’t, so we can find better ways to encourage everyone to take action.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of North Carolina Charlotte NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlotte, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $415,769 |
| NIH project number | 1R15AA031833-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10974797 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are college students who may witness problematic alcohol use in social settings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not in college or do not engage in social environments where alcohol use occurs may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on the serious issue of problematic alcohol use (PAU) among college students, which can lead to harmful outcomes like assault and alcohol use disorders. The project aims to develop and validate new measures to assess bystander intervention behaviors in situations involving PAU. By analyzing data from focus groups and interviews with diverse college students, the research will create scales that help understand when and why bystanders intervene or choose not to act. This information is crucial for designing effective interventions to encourage bystander action in these scenarios.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for preventing alcohol-related harm among college students by empowering bystanders to intervene.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing intervention strategies for bystander behavior in various contexts, making this approach promising.
Where this research is happening
-
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Montanaro, Erika Ann — University of North Carolina Charlotte
- Study coordinator: Montanaro, Erika Ann
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Biomarkers to detect recent heavy drinking in veterans
A doctor-scientist team is testing blood biomarkers to better identify recent excessive alcohol use in veterans so clinicians can screen, counsel, and care for those at risk.
-
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.
-
Understanding how veterans access care for alcohol use and behavioral health
A study following 2,000 post-9/11 veterans to see how alcohol use, PTSD, and depression relate to access to behavioral health care over four years.
-
Understanding how peer norms around alcohol and HIV prevention affect adolescents and young adults in rural Uganda
This project studies how what young people think their peers do or approve of influences drinking and HIV prevention behaviors in rural Uganda, with the goal of improving health outcomes.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
-
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.
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.