Mitigating PTSD-CUD After Sexual Assault

Mitigating PTSD-CUD Among Women Presenting to Emergency Care After Sexual Assault: Testing a Digital Therapeutic Targeting Anxiety Sensitivity

683,000 women are sexually assaulted annually in the United States, half of whom develop chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and thus have markedly increased risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD). The current proposal will test the acceptability, initial efficacy, and mechanisms underlying a novel digital therapeutic targeting risk for PTSD-CUD, which could address the critical need for PTSD-CUD prevention for the 100,000 women who annually present for emergency care after sexual assault. In this research context, the applicant will receive key training in multisite, emergency-care based randomized clinical trials (RCTs), advanced statistical analyses for RCTs and ecological momentary assessment data, biobehavioral mechanisms underlying PTSD-CUD prevention, and professional development, launching her independent research career focused on reducing the public health burden of PTSD-CUD among sexual assault survivors by leveraging digital therapeutics.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Women sexual assault survivors presenting for emergency care <72 hours post-assault at 1 of our 4 emergency care sites
2. English speakers
3. 18+ years of age
4. Able to provide informed consent
5. Have a smartphone with continuous service >1 year
6. Report >1x/weekly cannabis use on a substance use screener
7. Report elevated AS (>17 on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to provide informed consent (e.g., serious injury preventing the ability to hear, speak, or see to consent and participate, or other causes (e.g., diagnosed cognitive deficits, diagnosed dementia, asleep at time of screening)).
2. Prisoner
3. Currently pregnant
4. Lives with assailant and plans to continue to do so
5. Admitted patient
6. No mailing address
7. Previously enrolled
8. No sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) examination
9. Reporting current plan and intent for suicide or homicide
10. Does not understand written and spoken English