Understanding what leads to heavy drinking in bisexual and heterosexual women who have experienced sexual assault
Official title: Event-level Antecedents of Heavy Drinking Among Bisexual and Heterosexual Women with and without Histories of Sexual Assault
Funded at Rhode Island Hospital · NIH-11468413 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores why heavy drinking happens at specific moments for bisexual and heterosexual women with sexual assault histories, with the goal of finding ways to help reduce risky drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $246,869 |
| NIH project number | 5R00AA030079-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468413 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women who are bisexual or heterosexual, have alcohol use concerns, and have histories of sexual assault, across ages roughly from late teens to adults.
✕Less likely to help
Those without a history of sexual assault or who do not engage in heavy drinking may see limited direct benefits.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will use a mix of in-depth interviews and brief data collection to map moment-by-moment factors that lead to heavy drinking in young and adult women who have experienced sexual assault. They will compare bisexual and heterosexual women to see how stress, distress, coping motives, and microaggressions influence drinking episodes. The study aims to refine how we measure event-level triggers and develop better methods for studying these patterns in diverse groups. The work could pave the way for targeted interventions that address the specific triggers for heavy drinking in these populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform personalized strategies to prevent heavy drinking and reduce risk in women with assault histories.
How similar studies have gone: There is limited published work on event-level predictors of heavy drinking in bisexual women with assault histories, making this a novel but promising area.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: López, Gabriela — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: López, Gabriela
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.