Narrative Writing to Promote Healthy Decisions About Alcohol During the Transition Out of College

Enrolling by invitation · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Alcohol Use, Unspecified

In brief

The purpose of the proposed research is to evaluate (1) whether a future possible self task (FPST) can lead to changes drinking identity (DI; how much one associates one's self with drinking) and (2) whether the FPST and changes in drinking identity also change indicators of alcohol misuse . This study focuses on individuals who are graduating from college, which is a time of transition and identity change. If such changes can be demonstrated, DI may be a mechanism for alcohol misuse and the FPST may be an additional, novel intervention strategy to reduce alcohol misuse during the post-college transition. The goal of this clinical trial is to test the future possible self task (FPST) in individuals who are about to graduate from college. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can the FPST change drinking identity (a risk factor for alcohol misuse)? Can the FPST reduce risks for alcohol misuse? Participants will complete the FPST, a task that involves writing for 20 minutes, and will answer a series of questionnaires and computer-based word categorization tasks. Participants will be followed for a year after completing the FPST. Researchers will compare different versions of the FPST and different doses (one writing sessions vs. 3 writing sessions) to see which are more effective for changing drinking identity and reducing risks for alcohol misuse.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07418424

Run by

University of Washington

People needed

468

Starts

2026-02-10

Expected to finish

2028-10-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-27

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 25. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Senior in college and expecting to graduate at the University of Washington or University of Houston
• Between the ages of 18-25
• Full time student
• Fluent in English
• Is willing to attend 3 weekly virtual laboratory sessions hosted on HIPAA-compliant Zoom
• Is willing to provide contact information including phone number (for text messages and reminders), email (reminders), and mailing address (payment)
• Scores 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT; cut-off for indicator of hazardous drinking) and reports drinking alcohol in the last week
• Reports at least some interest in reducing drinking

You may not qualify if…

• There are no exclusion criteria for this study.

Where it is running

• University of Houston — Houston, Texas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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