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NCT07747766

Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress for Intimate Partner Violence - Randomized Control Trial

Sponsor: Cambridge Health Alliance

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

This research study investigates the feasibility of a randomized control trial of a group-based treatment program for reducing stress, trauma, substance use, and use of violence among individuals who were court-mandated to attend a program after committing an act(s) of domestic violence. The study is in a 2-arm design with an intervention group and a control group.

Key Details

Gender

MALE

Age Range

18 Years - Any

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

Start Date

2026-08-01

Completion Date

2027-07-31

Last Updated

2026-08-05

Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

Individuals Who Use Violence Interpersonal Violence

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors

The experiential protocol includes 15 minutes of themed curriculum and 45 minutes of experiential exercises, e.g., going inside meditation, centering practice, witnessing their own parts, psychodrama, speaking for parts exercises, finding parts in the body, etc. In addition, participants will have 30 minutes to speak in the group about their experience and review the manual focused on new coping strategies and behaviors. We will ask participants to keep a journal to write down observations and parts they notice during the week and ask them to bring the journal and manual we send to them to the group so they can record information they remember after exercises. All participants also will be scheduled to have approximately six to nine standard clinical one-hour sessions with an individual IFS trained counselor (at least Level 1 IFS trained) during their time in the program, with an average of one-two sessions per month (6-9 total individual sessions).

BEHAVIORAL

DVIT Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Treatment As Usual (TAU) for people who use violence in interpersonal and domestic relationships. In WA state currently, these treatments are usually a mix of elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Duluth Model, and/or Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT). Participants in this group will not be exposed to IFS during TAU, to preserve the integrity of the study design. The number of individual counseling sessions during TAU will be tracked, but it can vary based on need in the treatment as usual modalities.

Inclusion Criteria: * Must be male-identifying or prefer to be in a male-identifying group; * Must be a resident of Washington state; * Must be court-referred to a treatment program for using violence with an intimate partner; * Have sufficient English fluency and literacy skills to understand the consent process, procedures and questionnaires and have the ability to provide written informed consent; * Have access to the internet and an electronic device with adequate data capacity; to complete questionnaires online and attend online video conference groups; * Must be available and willing to attend at least 17 out of 20 scheduled online group sessions; and * Must be available and willing to complete the online computerized assessments, and phone interviews. Exclusion Criteria: * Insufficiently stable housing or internet connection to be able to join at least 17 group sessions; * Current participation in another experimental research study; * Expected medical hospitalization in the next six months from study enrollment period; * Current or expected physical incarceration (excluding house arrest or other forms of electronic monitoring) in the next six months from study enrollment period; * Inpatient hospitalization for mental health, substance use, suicide attempt or self-harm within past three months; * Inability to participate safely in the study intervention and without disrupting the group (in the opinion of principal investigator OR meeting any of the following criteria) * Past year history of a psychotic disorder or clinician confirmed active psychosis assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); * Bipolar I disorder history or current severe level of mania assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); * Acute suicidality with intent will be excluded from the study (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 \[SCID-5\]); * High levels of Psychopathy as defined by self-report psychopathy checklist (SRP-4); * Self-injurious behavior in past three months will require clinical assessment prior to participation in the program; * Acute homicidality with plan and/or intent; * Inability to join a group without intoxication. * Prior experience or exposure with Internal Family Systems (e.g. IFS therapy, IFS groups or retreats, current IFS practice, etc.)

Locations (2)

Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion

Malden, Massachusetts, United States

Waterland Counseling

Tumwater, Washington, United States