# Daily Impact of Sexual Minority Stress on Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence among Bisexual+ Young Adults: A Couples' Daily Diary Study

> **NIH NIH R21** · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · 2024 · $218,293

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This study is guided by a long-term goal of optimizing alcohol-related intimate partner violence (IPV;
psychological, physical, sexual, and identity abuse [e.g., threatening to out a partner]) interventions for bisexual
and other multigender-attracted (bi+) young adults and their partners. As a critical first step toward this goal, this
R21 will identify modifiable intervention targets for alcohol-related IPV by developing new scientific knowledge
of the unique day-to-day processes that potentiate and ameliorate IPV after alcohol use among bi+ young adults
and their partners. This study will also explore subpopulations of bi+ young adult couples who should be
prioritized in future alcohol-related IPV research (e.g., same- vs. different-gender dyads).
Alcohol use proximally increases the likelihood of IPV perpetration, particularly among young adults ages 18-25.
Relative to those with other sexual identities, more bi+ young adults endorse heavy alcohol use and IPV, but
research has not identified daily experiences that may potentiate or mitigate alcohol-related IPV within this
priority population. This critical scientific gap may be attributed to (1) limited inclusion of bi+ populations in
alcohol-related IPV research, with no daily diary studies focusing on bi+ young adults, (2) a lack of data on bi+-
specific minority stressors in existing alcohol-related IPV research, and (3) limited couple-level data from bi+
young adults despite IPV being a dyadic process impacted by both partners’ alcohol use and minority stress.
This study will address these gaps by examining potential intervention targets (i.e., bi+ minority stress, partner
support) implicated by sexual minority alcohol-related IPV theory that exacerbate or mitigate IPV after drinking
in the naturalistic settings of bi+ young adults and their partners. A rigorous, 60-day, daily diary approach will be
used to collect daily reports of alcohol use, minority stress (e.g., bi+-specific stressors), partner support, and IPV
perpetration/victimization from 50 bi+ young adults and their partners (N=100 individuals; 25 same-gender
couples, 25 different-gender couples). Study aims are: (1) Determine if one’s own and one’s partner’s alcohol
use increases IPV perpetration on days when bi+ individuals and their partners report high, but not low, levels
of minority stress. (2) Determine if one’s own and one’s partner’s alcohol use increases IPV perpetration on days
when individuals perceive their partners as providing low, rather than high, levels of partner support. (3) Across
Aims 1 and 2, explore descriptive differences between (a) same- and different-gender dyads, (b) couples in
which only one partner has, rather than both partners having, a minoritized sexual identity, and (c) IPV types to
identify priority populations for future research. Data generated from this study will provide the most
comprehensive, theoretically-informed assessment of alcohol-related IPV among bi+ yo...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11057137
- **Project number:** 1R21AA031548-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Meagan Jacquelyn Brem
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $218,293
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-17 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11057137

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11057137, Daily Impact of Sexual Minority Stress on Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence among Bisexual+ Young Adults: A Couples' Daily Diary Study (1R21AA031548-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11057137. Licensed CC0.

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