Kudos! to Elizabeth Bird, UW Psychology grad student, for successfully defending her doctoral dissertation about women's use of alcohol to cope with sexual trauma and sexual distress. Former ADAI Director Dr. Dennis M. Donovan served as her Graduate School Representative.
Dr. Bird's dissertation research was funded by a Small Grant from ADAI in 2016, "Investigation of Sexual Victimization Severity and Pre-Sex Drinking: The Roles of Sex-Related Stress and Sex-Related Drinking Motives." She studied with psychology professor Dr. William George, who also served as a mentor on her ADAI grant.
Women ages 18-24 are at the highest risk for sexual victimization, affecting more than 20% of women during their college years, with the period of highest risk in the first year of college. This project examined the relationships among sexual violence, sex-related distress, sex-related drinking motives, and pre-sex drinking in 380 first-year college women. Given the unique risks to physical and mental health posed by risky drinking and risky sexual behaviors, clarifying the relationship between sexual violence and pre-sex drinking might enhance addiction science, and amplify the effect of interventions targeting college students.
Mentored graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are eligible to apply for research funding from ADAI's Small Grants Program. Read more ...
