This revised application involves a controlled clinical trial of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) for alcohol problems among partner violent men. Prior research has indicated that alcohol problems are common among partner violent men, alcohol problems impede compliance with and response to partner violence interventions, and unresolved alcohol problems are a major risk factor for continued partner abuse in this population. In the proposed study, 278 individuals who present for domestic violence counseling at a community-based treatment agency, and who screen positive for risky alcohol consumption or alcohol involvement in domestic violence incidents, will be randomly assigned to receive either 4 weekly sessions of MET, or a control condition consisting of 4 weekly sessions of Alcohol Education (AE). MET involves extensive personalized feedback on alcohol consumption and related risks and problems. MET is designed to stimulate a self-directed change process. Subsequent to completing one of these interventions, all participants will be assigned to agency treatment-as-usual for domestic abuse, and participants with severe substance use disorders, as assessed by the agency program staff, will be referred for additional substance use treatment at a community agency. Outcomes will be assessed through self-report and collateral partner report of alcohol and drug consumption, partner abuse, and related variables, with assessments conducted at baseline, post- 4 session intervention, and quarterly follow-ups for one year after the alcohol interventions. The investigation will examine the efficacy of MET in reducing alcohol consumption, reducing physical and emotional abuse of relationship partners, and enhancing subsequent treatment participation and help seeking. Additional analyses will test explanatory models of the effect of MET on partner violence that include alcohol use and involvement in domestic violence treatment as mediating variables.
| Murphy, Christopher M; Ting, Laura A; Jordan, Lisa C et al. (2018) A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men. J Subst Abuse Treat 89:11-19 |
