Strength at Home Program for Domestic Violence
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Boston University
Disqualifiers: Active psychosis, Suicidal ideation, Incarceration, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. There currently exists very little evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of abuser intervention programs designed to prevent and end perpetration of IPV in the general population. This is troubling considering that approximately half a million men and women are court-mandated to these programs each year.
The investigators will conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV). The overarching aim of this study is to test the efficacy of SAH with court-involved-partner-violent men through an RCT comparing those who receive SAH with those who receive other standard IPV interventions offered in the state of Washington (treatment as usual- TAU).
The specific aims are:
1.1: Compare the frequency of physical and psychological IPV, the primary outcomes of interest, across conditions as reported by the male participants and their intimate partners across Time 1 (baseline) and four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that greater reductions in IPV frequencies will be evidenced in SAH than TAU over the course of the year.
1.2: Compare symptoms of PTSD, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems across conditions and assessment time points as reported by the male participants. It is expected that greater reductions in these symptoms will be evidenced in SAH than TAU over the course of the year.
1.3: Compare treatment satisfaction across conditions as reported by the male participants across the four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that treatment satisfaction will be higher in SAH than TAU.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Strength at Home (SAH) for domestic violence?
Research shows that the Strength at Home (SAH) program, a trauma-informed group treatment, has been implemented by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) among veterans. Previous studies have provided evidence of SAH's effectiveness in reducing IPV, particularly in military and veteran populations.
12345What makes the Strength at Home treatment unique for intimate partner violence?
Strength at Home is unique because it is a trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral group treatment specifically designed for military veterans and service members to reduce intimate partner violence. It focuses on addressing trauma and uses a social information processing model, which is not commonly found in traditional IPV treatments.
12356Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for men court-referred for intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention in Washington state who consent to partner contact. It also includes women who are or were partners involved in IPV incidents with these men.Inclusion Criteria
I agree to let the research team contact my partner(s) for the study.
I have been referred by a court for IPV intervention in Washington state.
I have been involved in an IPV incident with someone who was court-referred.
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Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants receive either the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention or Treatment as Usual (TAU) for intimate partner violence
12 months
Baseline and 4 follow-up assessments at 3-month intervals
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
3 months
Participant Groups
The study tests the Strength at Home (SAH) program against standard IPV interventions (TAU). Participants will be randomly assigned to either SAH or TAU and followed up every three months to assess IPV frequency, PTSD symptoms, alexithymia, alcohol use problems, and treatment satisfaction.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Strength at Home (SAH)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants randomized into this arm with receive a trauma-informed intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention program.
Group II: Treatment as Usual (TAU)Active Control1 Intervention
Participants randomized into this arm with receive a standard IPV intervention program in the state of Washington.
Strength at Home (SAH) is already approved in United States for the following indications:
🇺🇸 Approved in United States as Strength at Home for:
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention and treatment
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, PsychiatryBoston, MA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Boston UniversityLead Sponsor
Office of Crime Victims Advocacy - Washington State Department of CommerceCollaborator
References
National implementation of a trauma-informed intervention for intimate partner violence in the Department of Veterans Affairs: first year outcomes. [2019]The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently implemented a comprehensive national program to help veterans who use or experience intimate partner violence (IPV). One important component of this plan is to implement Strength at Home (SAH), a 12-week cognitive-behavioral and trauma-informed group treatment designed to reduce and end IPV use among military and veteran populations.
Evaluation of the Strength at Home Group Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence in the Veterans Affairs Health System. [2023]Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and prevalent public health issue that is interconnected with experiences of trauma, mental and physical health difficulties, and health disparities. Strength at Home (SAH) is a group intervention for persons using IPV in their relationships. Although previous studies have provided evidence of SAH's effectiveness in reducing IPV, its patient outcomes as implemented within organized health care have not been examined.
Safe and Stable Housing for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors, Maryland, 2019‒2020. [2023]House of Ruth Maryland is a comprehensive intimate partner violence (IPV) service provider. Our academic‒practitioner partnership conducted a prospective, quasi-experimental evaluation (n = 70) of on-site transitional housing and community-based rapid rehousing to meet the safety and stability needs of individuals made homeless because of IPV. By 6-month follow-up, both IPV revictimization and housing instability significantly improved (P < .001). Housing supports through an IPV service provider advanced the dual goals of safety and housing stability for IPV survivors. Safe, affordable housing is an IPV prevention strategy. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(6):865-870. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306728).
A scoping review of intimate partner violence assistance programmes within health care settings. [2022]Background: The lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) for women presenting to health care settings is estimated to be 38-59%. With the goal of providing help to victims of abuse, numerous IPV assistance programmes have been developed and evaluated across multiple health care settings. Objective: Our scoping review provides an overview of this literature to identify key areas for potential evidence-based recommendations and to focus research priorities. Methods: We conducted a search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and psycINFO. We used broad eligibility criteria to identify studies that evaluated the effectiveness of IPV assistance programmes delivered within health care settings. We completed all screening and data extraction independently and in duplicate. We used descriptive statistics to summarize all data. Results: Forty-three studies met all eligibility criteria and were included in our scoping review. Nine categories of assistance programmes were identified: counselling/advocacy, safety assessment/planning, referral, providing IPV resources, home visitation, case management, videos, provider cueing, and system changes. Characteristics of programmes amongst studies frequently reporting positive results included those in which one type of active assistance was used (77.8% of studies reported positive results), a counsellor, community worker, or case manager provided the intervention (83.3% of studies reported positive results), and programmes that were delivered over more than five sessions (100.0% of studies reported positive results). Conclusions: IPV assistance programmes are heterogeneous with regards to the types of assistance they include and how they are delivered and evaluated. This heterogeneity creates challenges in identifying which IPV assistance programmes, and which aspects of these programmes, are effective. However, it appears that many different types of IPV assistance programmes can have positive impacts on women.
A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of the Strength at Home Men's Program for Partner Violence in Military Veterans. [2022]We evaluated the efficacy of the Strength at Home Men's Program (SAH-M), a trauma-informed group intervention based on a social information processing model to end intimate partner violence (IPV) use in a sample of veterans/service members and their partners. To date, no randomized controlled trial has supported the efficacy of an IPV intervention in this population.
Examining strength at home for preventing intimate partner violence in civilians. [2022]The Strength at Home (SAH) intervention, a trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral intervention for intimate partner violence (IPV), was examined in a sample of court-mandated men. Evidence from prior research indicates that SAH is effective in military veterans but the program has not been examined in civilians. It was expected that SAH participants would evidence reductions in physical and psychological IPV, as well as secondary outcomes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol use problems. Participants included 23 men court mandated to IPV intervention. The sample was low income and 72.7% had a reported prior history of severe physical IPV perpetration. Data from these participants and collateral partners were examined across assessments reflecting baseline, post-treatment, and two 3-month follow-ups. The outcome variables were assessed at each time point to examine change over time and a post-treatment satisfaction measure was also administered immediately following the intervention. Participants showed a significant linear decrease between baseline and post-treatment in all of the primary and secondary IPV outcomes, which maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up time points. Effect sizes across models were moderate to large. Participants reported high satisfaction with SAH. Study findings provide preliminary support that the SAH intervention is associated with reductions in IPV among civilians and addresses other trauma- and alcohol-related problems. Further research including larger randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the efficacy of this intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).