Program for Alleviating and Reducing Trauma and Stress for Intimate Partner Violence

NCT06765122 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: CHA-IRB-24-25-352
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 16
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This research study investigates the feasibility and acceptability 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.

Conditions

Interpersonal Violence

Keywords

Interpersonal Violence, domestic violence; Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress; Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Feasibility of Intervention

  Intervention-based feasibility: 67% (e.g., 8/12) of participants completing at least 67% (e.g., 8/12) of the first 12 groups, study protocol feasibility as 67% (e.g., 8/12) or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments.

  At 12 and 20 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Acceptability of Intervention

  At 12 and 20 weeks

• Intervention Satisfaction

  At 12 and 20 weeks

• Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2)

  Change from Baseline to 12 and 20 weeks

Study Arms (1)

PARTS-NB

EXPERIMENTAL

All study participants will be in the PARTS-NB arm and go through the treatment program called "Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors".

Behavioral: Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)

Interventions

Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB) BEHAVIORAL

PARTS-NB (Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors) is a group-based program for people who use violence and aggression in intimate relationships. Phase I is 4-weeks of 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions focused on clarifying the way parts work in the mind, increasing inner compassion and emotion regulation, and explaining the role of trauma and stress in substance use and the use of violence in relationships. Phase II lasts 8-weeks, maintaining the 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This phase introduces the model and focuses on practicing "unblending," helping individuals gain awareness and acceptance of internal and external experiences. The final phase, Phase III runs 8 weeks and consists of weekly 120-minute group sessions which addresses and releases trauma-based beliefs and experiences through a process called "unburdening."

Also known as: PARTS-IPV

PARTS-NB

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: male-identifying participants are eligible to participate.
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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 17 out of 20 scheduled online group sessions; and Must be available and willing to complete the online computerized assessments and phone interviews.

You may not qualify if:

• Insufficiently stable housing or internet connection to be able to join at least 17 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 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; Severe personality disorder with clinical history that would suggest potential disruptions within the group as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); and/or Inability to join a group without intoxication.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cambridge Health Alliance: lead
• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services: collaborator
• Boston University: collaborator
• Washington State Department of Commerce Office of Crime Victims Advocacy: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion

Malden, Massachusetts, 02148, United States

Location

Waterland Counseling

Tumwater, Washington, 98512, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Taft CT, Franz MR, Cole HE, D'Avanzato C, Rothman EF. Examining strength at home for preventing intimate partner violence in civilians. J Fam Psychol. 2021 Sep;35(6):857-862. doi: 10.1037/fam0000732. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

  PMID: 33734765 BACKGROUND

• Comeau A, Smith LJ, Smith L, Soumerai Rea H, Ward MC, Creedon TB, Sweezy M, Rosenberg LG, Schuman-Olivier Z. Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychol Trauma. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 3):S636-S640. doi: 10.1037/tra0001688. Epub 2024 Jun 27.

  PMID: 38934934 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

  Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2025
• First Posted: January 9, 2025
• Study Start: January 14, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2025
• Study Completion: June 30, 2025
• Last Updated: April 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)