IPV Prevention Among FDP

NCT07775677 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: AWD000018111R34MH139762-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 107
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Forcibly displaced women and their male partners experience compounding social and structural vulnerabilities to intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health challenges, yet rigorous studies or examples of evidence-based interventions that seek to prevent and reduce IPV and mental health problems among forcibly displaced populations (FDPs) who seek asylum and rebuild their lives in the United States (US) are scarce. Guided by the the Assessment, Decision, Adaptation, Production, Topical experts-integration, Training, and Testing (ADAPT-ITT) framework, Cascade Implementation Framework, and NIMH experimental therapeutics approach, we propose to address this gap in research and practice by (1) adapting the Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) curriculum for US-based FD Congolese couples, (2) using a hybrid type 2 pilot study design to explore preliminary effects of EA$E-US on IPV, mental health outcomes and intermediary outcomes, and (3) examining implementation processes and outcomes

Conditions

PTSD Symptoms; Violence Prevention; Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

Keywords

violence prevention; implementation research; mental health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• Change in past month anxiety symptoms assessed by GAD-7 at 5 months

  Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7; 7 items. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher values indicating greater symptom severity.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in depressive symptoms assessed by PHQ-9 at 5 months

  Patient health questionnaire-9; 9 items; values range from 0 to 27 with higher values indicating greater depressive symptom severity

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in past month PTSD Symptoms assessed by PTSD checklist at 5 months

  Post traumatic disorder checklist -5. This is a 20 item scale with values ranging from 0 to 80. With higher values indicating greater symptom severity

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in Past month experiences of physical intimate partner violence assessed by WHO Physical violence subscale at 5 months.

  World Health Organization's Physical Violence subscale. The 6-item subscale assesses participants' experiences of six specific acts of physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner. Scores range from 0 (zero acts) to 6 (multiple acts), representing the number of different physical IPV acts experienced, with higher scores indicating greater exposure to physical IPV.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in past month experiences of emotional intimate partner violence assessed by WHO's emotional violence subscale at 5 months.

  World Health Organization's Emotional Violence subscale. The 4--item subscale assesses participants' experiences of four specific acts of emotional violence perpetrated by an intimate partner. Scores range from 0 (zero acts) to 4 (multiple acts), representing the number of different emotional IPV acts experienced, with higher scores indicating greater exposure to emotional IPV.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in past month experiences of Economic intimate partner violence assessed by an economic subscale initially created for the original EA$E RCT in Côte d'Ivoire at 5 months.

  The economic subscale was initially created for the original EA$E RCT in Côte d'Ivoire. The 4-item subscale assesses participants' experiences of four specific acts of economic violence perpetrated by an intimate partner. Scores range from 0 (zero act) to 4 (multiple acts), representing the number of different economic IPV acts experienced, with higher scores indicating greater exposure to economic IPV.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in past month economic coercion assessed by ECS-20 at 5 months.

  Economic Coercion Scale-20 (ECS-20). The ECS-20 is a short form version of the economic coercion scale-36). The 20 item scale assesses 1) participants' experiences of 20 specific acts of economic coercion by an intimate partner in their lifetime; and 2) the frequency of each act during the past month for those acts reported as having occurred at least once during the participant's lifetime. Scores range from 0 (zero acts) to 20 (multiple acts) with higher scores indicating greater economic coercion.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in past month experiences of controlling behaviors assessed by DHS controlling behaviors subscale in 5 months.

  Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Controlling Behaviors scale. The 6-item scale assesses participants' experiences of six specific acts of controlling behaviors perpetrated by an intimate partner. Scores range from 0 (zero acts) to 6 (multiple acts), representing the number of different acts of controlling behavior experienced, with higher scores indicating greater exposure to controlling behaviors.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Change in past month Intimate partner violence acceptance assessed by DHS attitudes towards wife-beating scale at 5 months.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in gender equitable attitudes assessed by GEM scale at 5 months.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in coping behaviors assessed by Brief COPE, Religion subscale at 5 months.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in coping Self-efficacy assessed by the coping self-efficacy scale at 5 months.

  Baseline (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

• Change in level of Social Support assessed by ESSI at 5 months.

  (T1), T2 (immediately after intervention: 8 weeks from baseline), and T3 (5 months after baseline)

Other Outcomes (8)

• Facilitator's perception of intervention session feasibility assessed by Weiner feasibility subscale after each session (weekly for 2 months).

  T2 (8 weeks from baseline) for each session (weekly for two months).

• Facilitator perception of intervention session Acceptability assessed by Weiner Acceptability scale after each session (weekly for 2 months).

  T2 (8 weeks from baseline) for each session (weekly for two months).

• Facilitators perceptions of intervention session Appropriateness assessed by Weiner appropriateness scale after each session (weekly for 2 months).

  T2 (8 weeks from baseline) for each session (weekly for two months).

Study Arms (2)

Standard of care (ongoing economic programming)

OTHER

Standard of care, receive ongoing IRC provided services, including economic empowerment services (job training, financial coaching, etc).

Other: ongoing standard of care

EA$E-US

EXPERIMENTAL

Couples randomized to this arm will receive the EA$E-US intervention. This is an 8-session curriculum focusing on communication, healthy communication, conflict resolution, joint decision-making, and coping.

Behavioral: EA$E-US

Interventions

EA$E-US BEHAVIORAL

Couples randomized to this arm will receive the EA$E-US intervention. This is an 8-session curriculum focusing on communication, healthy communication, conflict resolution, joint decision-making, and coping.

EA$E-US

ongoing standard of care OTHER

Ongoing services offered by IRC including job training, financial coaching and budgeting, and assistance.

Standard of care (ongoing economic programming)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• couples who are:
• years or older
• Married or in a relationship and currently living with your spouse / partner
• Came to the U.S. within the past 5 years
• Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Fluent in Kinyarwanda, Kinyamulenge, and/or Kinyabwisha
• Current or past client of the International Rescue Committee

You may not qualify if:

• \) not fluent in Kinyarwanda, Kinyamulenge or Kinyabwisha, 2) people who are currently seeking legal protection against an abusive partner and/or are engaged in IRC provided case management services for IPV.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• International Rescue Committee: collaborator
• George Mason University: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator
• Arizona State University: collaborator

Related Links

• NIH Reporter

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression; Anxiety Disorders; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Mental Disorders; Personal Satisfaction

Study Officials

• Jhumka Gupta, ScD, MPH

  George Mason University College of Public Health

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Karin Wachter, PhD

  Arizona State University School of Social Work

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jhumka Gupta, ScD, MPH

CONTACT

7039931985; jgupta4@gmu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: August 20, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2028
• Last Updated: August 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share