Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Strength at Home Couples program to prevent military partner violence: A randomized controlled trial
Journal Name
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Journal Volume
84
Issue Number
11
Page Numbers
935-945
DOI
10.1037/ccp0000129
Summary
A randomized clinical trial of Strength at Home Couples (SAH-C), a cognitive– behavioral trauma informed intimate partner violence (IPV) preventive intervention for married or partnered military Service members or Veterans was conducted. Participants included male Service members or Veterans and their female partners. Participants were randomly placed in either the SAH-C program or the Supportive Prevention (SP) program. Overall, findings demonstrated that the SAH-C program was more effective in reducing the acts of physical and psychological IPV compared to the SP program.
Key Findings
Service members or Veterans in the SAH-C program and their female partners engaged in fewer acts of reported physical and psychological IPV compared to participants in the SP program.
Lower relative risk of physical violence for both members of the dyad was found for those in the SAH-C program and at follow-up assessments.
Findings suggest there were no differences between groups on relationship satisfaction.
Implications for Program Leaders
Continue providing training opportunities for professionals working with Service members and their families to learn more about IPV and its effects on the individual as well as their family
Engage Service members and their intimate partners in classes that aim to increase communication and decrease physical or verbal aggression
Disseminate information regarding possible warning signs of intimate partner violence to professionals working with Service members and their families
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of structured workshops for Service members and their partners on healthy relationships
Encourage awareness among military professionals working with Service members and their partners on the importance of developing programming for IPV prevention
Recommend collaboration between DoD programs and local community organizations to support treatment programs for Service members who are IPV offenders and victims
Methods
Participants were recruited via flyers in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and presentations at military events in two major metropolitan areas in Northeastern United States.
Assessments were completed onsite or through an online survey method at four time points: prior to initiating intervention, immediately following intervention, at six months, and 12 months post-intervention.
Statistical analyses were conducted to determine what, if any, differences there were between the Strength at Home Couples program and the supportive prevention program.
Participants
Sixty-nine out of 97 interested couples met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate.
The majority of couples were married (81%) and White (86%).
Fifty-eight percent of participants were in the National Guard, 7% Active Duty, 7% Reserves, and 28% Veterans.
Limitations
The sample size was small, limiting examination of factors that may have influenced the intervention or outcome; therefore, findings should be interpreted with caution.
This study focused only on the male Service member in a heterosexual relationship; therefore, results are not generalizable to female Service members or other types of relationships
The SAH-C program was delivered under heavy supervision from the intervention developers; therefore, it is unknown what level or type of training is necessary to achieve similar outcomes.
Avenues for Future Research
Investigate the short and long term effects of the SAH-C program on both male and female Service members, Veterans, and their partners
Explore the level and type of professional training for staff needed to achieve similar results of the SAH-C program
Evaluate the efficacy of the SAH-C program on different types of relationships (e.g., romantic, family)
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
We evaluated the efficacy of Strength at Home Couples, a cognitive–behavioral traumainformed intimate partner violence (IPV) preventive intervention for married or partnered military service members or veterans. No prior randomized controlled trial had supported the efficacy of such an intervention in this population. Method: Participants included 69 male service members or veterans and their female partners. Recruitment was conducted from February 2010 through August 2013, and participationoccurredwithin2DepartmentofVeteransAffairshospitals.All couples completed an initial assessment including diagnostic interviews and measures of physical and psychological IPV and were randomized by cohort to a supportive prevention couples group or Strength at Home Couples. All couples were reassessed at post intervention and at 6 and 12 months follow-ups. Results: Both service members or veterans and their female partners engaged in fewer acts of reported physical and psychological IPV in the Strength at Home Couples condition relative to supportive prevention, and relative risk of physical violence was lower for both members of the dyad in Strength at Home Couples at follow-up assessments (male service member or veteran IPV relative risk [RR] .53; female IPV RR .43). Those in Strength at Home Couples evidenced significantly greater program completion than did those in supportive prevention (RR 1.73; 95% confidence interval [1.00, 2.99]). Exploratory analyses did not find differences between groups on relationship satisfaction. Conclusion: Results provide support for the efficacy of Strength at Home Couples in preventing physical IPV and reducing psychological IPV. These results have important implications for preventing violence and associated physical and mental health problems. Clinical Trials Registration: Trial Registry Name: Strength at Home Couples Program;Registration Number: NCT00827879; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00827879?term strengthathome&rank1
What is the public health significance of this article? This study suggests that the Strength at Home Couples program, a cognitive–behavioral trauma informed intimate partner violence (IPV) preventive intervention for married or partnered military service members or veterans, is efficacious in preventing physical IPV and reducing psychological IPV.
Keywords: violence, veterans, partner aggression, domestic abuse, prevention
What is the public health significance of this article? This study suggests that the Strength at Home Couples program, a cognitive–behavioral trauma informed intimate partner violence (IPV) preventive intervention for married or partnered military service members or veterans, is efficacious in preventing physical IPV and reducing psychological IPV.
Keywords: violence, veterans, partner aggression, domestic abuse, prevention
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