# Improving Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment for Gender Minority Populations

> **NIH NIH K23** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 2020 · $188,613

## Abstract

Project Summary: Gender minority individuals (GM; transgender and gender non-conforming), an NIH-
designated disparity population (NOT-MD-19-001), experience numerous health disparities including high rates
of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD). GMs also have culturally-distinct life experiences that can
further increase alcohol risk. Standard alcohol treatment programs often neglect such GM-specific experiences.
Cultural adaptation can improve treatment acceptability, retention, and effectiveness in minority populations by
increasing treatment compatibility with patients’ cultural norms/values. Despite alcohol disparities and unique
risk factors, there are no evidence-based alcohol interventions for this marginalized population.
 In this application, Dr. Jeremy Kidd proposes a comprehensive path toward becoming an independent
physician-researcher of innovative treatments for alcohol and drug use disorders among GMs. Specifically, this
proposal follows the Stage Model of Behavioral Therapies Research to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a
culturally-adapted psychosocial intervention for AUD among GMs. Cultural adaptation will address the specific
types of interpersonal disruptions (e.g., with family, friends, coworkers) that many GMs experience due to gender
transition or anti-GM discrimination/stigma. These disruptions result in interpersonal distress that increases
alcohol risk. In Stage 0 formative research, Dr. Kidd will use latent class analysis to examine the relationship
between social support and trajectories of hazardous drinking in an established multi-site, longitudinal cohort of
GMs (N = 330). Next, he will employ qualitative descriptive methodologies to conduct individual semi-structured
interviews with cohort members (N = 48) to understand in-depth how interpersonal factors influence GM drinking.
He will use these formative findings to develop a culturally-adapted AUD intervention for GMs. He will use
interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) as a platform for adaptation because it is evidence-based for alleviating
interpersonally-mediated psychological distress. Finally, Dr. Kidd will evaluate this intervention’s feasibility by
delivering it to 20 GM individuals with AUD in a Stage 1 single-arm, pre-post, mixed-methods feasibility trial.
 To further his long-term career goal of becoming an independent clinical researcher focused on GM addiction
disparities, Dr. Kidd will pursue training in the following 5 areas: (1) advanced epidemiology and biostatistics with
longitudinal and clinical trials data, (2) qualitative research, (3) psychosocial intervention adaptation, (4)
psychotherapy clinical trials, and (5) grant writing. The results of this study will be the first application of the Stage
Model of Behavioral Therapies Research in GM populations and the first evidence-based psychosocial alcohol
treatment for GMs. This approach may also inform clinical treatment research for other GM health disparities.
Overall, this aw...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9952985
- **Project number:** 1K23AA028296-01
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeremy D Kidd
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $188,613
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9952985

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9952985, Improving Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment for Gender Minority Populations (1K23AA028296-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9952985. Licensed CC0.

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