2 - (SYM 86) Testing a Cognitive Intervention as an Acute Intervention Following Sexual Assault: Results from Project BRITE

Almost 30% of women will experience a sexual assault during their time in college (Mellins et al., 2017), increasing risk for both PTSD and alcohol misuse (Dworkin et al., 2017). Interventions delivered in the initial weeks following assault are effective at decreasing the development of long-term reactions (Dworkin et al., 2018). Cognitive therapies promote change in chronic symptoms by teaching strategies to shift unhelpful trauma-related thinking patterns, which then leads to change in associated emotions, distress, and behaviors (Resick et al., 2016). The potential benefits of cognitive interventions to promote early recovery from PTSD and alcohol misuse following sexual assault has been less well studied. Project BRITE is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to test the efficacy of a one-session + four coaching call intervention based on cognitive processing therapy (CPT; Resick et al., 2017) compared to assessment only. Female-identifying individuals over 18 with symptoms of PTSD and alcohol misuse were recruited within 10 weeks of sexual assault. Participants (N = 57) were young (M = 21.63 years) and predominately non-Hispanic White (61.4%) and completed measures of PTSD, alcohol use, and trauma-related cognitions at baseline, weekly for 5 weeks, and at 3-month follow-up. Masked interviewers assessed symptoms at baseline and follow-up and self-report measures were given at all time points. BRITE had strong retention, with 78.6% of participants completing the intervention and all four coaching calls. Across the intervention and follow-up assessments, BRITE significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (p < .005) compared to assessment only. Measures of alcohol use indicated reductions from baseline for both conditions; however, BRITE was not significantly better than assessment only at reducing drinking over time. We will conduct additional analyses examining trauma-related cognitions as a mechanism of change in PTSD and alcohol use for those receiving BRITE compared to assessment only. Preliminary findings support the newly developed, brief, and accessible BRITE intervention as effective for reducing PTSD in sexual assault survivors. Additional analyses on trauma-related cognitions will help us further understand the importance of addressing maladaptive cognitive patterns in the early aftermath of a sexual assault.