Title of Project: Female Anti-Problem Drinking Group and Campus Initiatives
U01 Researcher Collaborator: Mary Larimer, Ph.D.
NIAAA Scientific Staff Collaborator: Peggy Murray
Summary:
This project, called Heads UP! Women, intervenes with women at risk for negative consequences resulting from drinking while, at the same time, raising awareness and improving campus life through a nested set of initiatives. At the core of Heads UP! Women is a 2-session peer-led motivational enhancement group intervention with freshmen women that attempts to instill responsible drinking habits. The intervention employs current research, using Motivational Interviewing and focus group technology, as well as gender-specific reasons for drinking and women’s differential response to discussion-oriented, non-threatening, and peer-led interventions. Groups include assessment of past drinking, followed by discussion of pros and cons for reducing drinking, reasons for drinking and expectancies, and gender-specific alcohol-related health issues. Participants monitor drinking and drinking-related incidents through daily diaries over 3 months and receive booster sessions. Women who are treated for alcohol poisoning and women receiving alcohol-related sanctions will also participate in separate Heads UP! Women Judicial Offenders groups. The group interventions are nested in a series of initiatives that involve the President of Loyola Marymount University, EMT ride-alongs, an on-campus poster campaign, group norms programs with campus organizations utilizing on-line technology, monthly alcohol-related programs with faculty/staff, and on-going alcohol and women’s health programs for students. It is hoped that students attending Heads UP! Women will report fewer alcohol-related problems, decreased incidence of alcohol poisoning, fewer judicial sanctions, and recidivism.
