Despite consistent findings of a highly elevated prevalence and frequency of intimate partner violence (IPV) in alcohol treatment settings, very few alcohol treatment clients receive partner violence treatment either within alcohol treatment facilities or concurrently or subsequently at outside facilities. In the proposed exploratory/developmental study (R21) we will develop and examine the preliminary efficacy of a Motivational Interview for intimate partner violence (MI-IPV) for use in alcohol treatment settings. The first 9 months of the proposed project will be devoted to manual development, which will involve adaptation of the general principles and skills of MI to IPV in an alcohol treatment setting. This will be accomplished through an iterative process that incorporates investigator expertise and observations as well as client and counselor feedback into successive drafts of the manual. In months 10 through 27, we will conduct a pilot study with 54 men, who are receiving alcohol treatment-as-usual at an outpatient alcohol clinic, and who report IPV in the pretreatment year. Participants will be randomized to receive either a comprehensive assessment of partner violence and relationship functioning followed by the 90-minute MI-IPV intervention and provision of referrals or to a control condition comprising the comprehensive assessment and referral only. The MI-IPV intervention involves provision of extensive personalized feedback about partner violence, risks, and related problems designed to stimulate a self-directed change process. Outcomes will be assessed through self-report and collateral partner reports of partner violence and related variables at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The pilot study will provide preliminary data about the efficacy of MI-IPV in enhancing client motivation to reduce IPV, enhancing client IPV-related help seeking, and reducing physical and emotional abuse of partners, which will inform a larger clinical trial.
| Freeman, Andrew J; Schumacher, Julie A; Coffey, Scott F (2015) Social desirability and partner agreement of men's reporting of intimate partner violence in substance abuse treatment settings. J Interpers Violence 30:565-79 |
| Schumacher, Julie A; Coffey, Scott F; Stasiewicz, Paul R et al. (2011) Development of a Brief Motivational Enhancement Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence in Alcohol Treatment Settings. J Aggress Maltreat Trauma 20:103-127 |
