A Daily Diary Assessment of Polysubstance Use and Communication Among Young Adults

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY This Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) aims to provide Dr. Tiffany Marcantonio with the training and research experience necessary to become an independent investigator. Her research program will focus on reducing the risk of substance-facilitated sexual violence (SV) by assessing how young adults’ consent and refusal communication (i.e., romantic communication) is influenced by alcohol use, cannabis use, co-use (using alcohol and cannabis concurrently), and substance-related expectancies. This will be achieved using daily diary (DD) methods—intensive longitudinal assessments that capture behaviors in natural settings. Young adults are disproportionately at risk for experiencing SV, and alcohol, cannabis, and co-use are established risk factors. Prevention efforts could benefit from promoting direct consent and refusal communication that ensures mutual understanding of each partner’s willingness to engage in sexual activity. However, substance use may impair young adult’s ability to communicate or accurately interpret communication cues. Despite this, research on substance-involved romantic communication has rarely examined cannabis or co-use, nor has it addressed the role of alcohol, cannabis, or co-use expectancies in shaping substance use and romantic communication. This innovative proposal includes training activities designed to help Dr. Marcantonio achieve three career development goals: 1) Develop expertise in the relationships among alcohol and cannabis use, substance-related expectancies, and SV risk; 2) Gain proficiency in the ethical design and implementation of research on cannabis use, co-use, and expectancies; 3) Receive advanced training in the development, implementation, and analysis of intensive longitudinal designs. Dr. Marcantonio’s mentorship team includes experts in alcohol and SV prevention (Parrott), alcohol and cannabis use (Cropsey, Parrott, Pedersen), cannabis use and expectancies (Pedersen), DD study design and implementation (Businelle), and intensive longitudinal data analysis (Parton). Dr. Marcantonio will apply the skills gained from these training activities to a research project implementing a DD study examining how alcohol, cannabis, and co-use expectancies—and patterns of alcohol, cannabis, and co-use—affect romantic communication among young adults. This project will employ rigorous methodology and advanced statistical techniques to address complex associations between substance use, communication, and SV. It will also establish the feasibility of larger-scale DD studies focused on how substance use affects a key SV prevention behavior: romantic communication. Together, the proposed research and training will prepare Dr. Marcantonio for an independent research career focused on preventing substance- facilitated SV among those at greatest risk.