How romantic conflict affects drinking and stress responses in young adult couples
Understanding the Associations Between Romantic Relationship Conflict, Psychophysiological Responding and Alcohol Misuse Among Emerging Adults
This project will see if moments of relationship conflict are linked to immediate changes in drinking and body stress signals in 21–29 year-old couples who engage in heavy episodic drinking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 160 (estimated) |
| Ages | 21 Years to 29 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | New York University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New York, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT06976528 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Young adult romantic partners who report recent heavy episodic drinking will come to a New York University laboratory and complete two conflict discussion tasks interleaved with two puzzle tasks. During the visit participants will undergo two controlled alcohol administration procedures while continuous physiological data, including high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), are recorded. The design compares behavioral and physiological responses during conflict and non-conflict periods and relates those responses to subsequent alcohol intake. The goal is to identify risk and resilience factors that connect acute relationship stress to drinking in emerging adults.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are 21–29 year-olds in a committed romantic relationship of at least three months who report at least two heavy episodic drinking episodes in the past 30 days and meet the study's health and weight criteria.
Not a fit: People outside the 21–29 age range, those not in a committed relationship, individuals currently in treatment for substance use, or those with serious psychiatric, neurological, or cardiac conditions are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians and couples-targeted programs reduce binge drinking by identifying momentary triggers and physiological markers that signal increased drinking risk.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked partner influence, lab-based alcohol administration, and HF-HRV separately to drinking and stress, but combining couple conflict tasks with alcohol challenges and continuous HF-HRV monitoring in emerging adults is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 21-29 years old 2. Must be in a committed romantic relationship of at least 3 months duration 3. Must report at least 2 HED episodes in the past 30 days (5 or more drinks within 2 hours for males, 4 or more drinks within 2 hours for females) 4. Must self-report that they have - on at least three occasions during the past year - consumed a quantity of alcohol that is equal to or greater than the standard dose administered for their weight in the laboratory Exclusion Criteria: 1. Meeting DSM-5 criteria for a history of or current neurological, psychotic, or bipolar disorders 2. History of self-reported head trauma requiring medical treatment 3. Body weight exceeding 250 pounds 4. Current enrollment in treatment or seeking treatment for a substance or alcohol use disorder 5. Current suicidal or homicidal intent 6. Serious cardiovascular health conditions (e.g. pacemaker, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension) that may alter normative cardiac functioning 7. Treatment on medications such as lithium, methadone, alpha or beta blockers or cholinergic/anticholinergic medications likely to confound normative cardiovascular responding or response to alcohol administration. Stimulant or benzodiazepine medication use is permissible provided participants do not take medication on the day of study participation 8. Severe and/or unilateral physical IPV with your current partner at any time 9. Sexual IPV with current partner at any time 10. Fear of current partner 11. Pregnancy or breastfeeding 12. Severe Alcohol Use Disorder (as defined by the DSM-5) 13. Current diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia
Where this trial is running
New York, New York
- 386 Park Avenue South — New York, New York, United States (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.