Initial Efficacy of a Web-Based Alcohol and Emotion Regulation Intervention for College Women With Sexual Assault Histories

Objective: College women with sexual assault histories report greater heavy drinking relative to those without histories of assault. Moreover, individuals with sexual assault histories often have difficulty regulating emotions and tolerating distress, which can lead to a problematic pattern of drinking to cope. Thus, we evaluated the initial efficacy of a web-based alcohol intervention that included strategies to reduce drinking and improve regulatory skills for heavy drinking college women with sexual assault histories. Method: The sample comprised college women (N = 200) who were 20.9 (SD = 2.8) years old and primarily White (69%). They were randomized to an assessment-only control or intervention and completed 14 daily diary assessments, pre- and posttreatment surveys, and 1- and 6-month follow-up surveys. During daily diary, the intervention group received a brief (5-10 min) alcohol reduction or regulatory skill module each day. Results: Reductions in drinking quantity and heavy episodic drinking were found for the intervention group at posttreatment and 1-month follow-up relative to controls. Improved regulatory skills and reduced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were reported at posttreatment for women who received the intervention compared to controls. Although gains were maintained, the intervention group no longer differed from controls by 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: Results suggest this web-based intervention may result in short-term reductions in drinking and PTSD symptoms as well as improvements in regulatory abilities for college women with sexual assault histories. Public Health Significance Statement This brief web-based intervention was designed to address the unique needs of heavy drinking college women with sexual assault histories in a way that minimized barriers to care and met the women where they are, with potential to have a broad positive impact on postassault functioning given the relative ease of dissemination and implementation. Results highlight the utility of integrating regulatory skills alongside alcohol reduction strategies to reduce alcohol use and improve other indicators of functioning among college women with sexual assault histories.