Intimate Partner ViolenceNCT06526247
Evaluating Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Use in Washington State
A study testing Strength at Home (SAH) and Treatment as usual for IPV in people with Intimate Partner Violence, run by Boston University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Intimate Partner Violence
- What is being tested?
- Strength at Home (SAH) and Treatment as usual for IPV
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 800 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Nov 2024to Jul 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Men:
- Identify as a man
- Provide consent for the research team to contact his intimate partner(s) for data collection purposes;
- Court-referred for IPV intervention in Washington state
- Women:
- Identify as a woman
- Were or currently are an intimate partner involved in an incident of IPV with a court-referred participant
Who cannot join
- demonstrates active psychosis that may interfere with their ability to participate in group
- expresses prominent suicidal or homicidal ideation that requires hospitalization
- does not possess proficiency in spoken English
- periods of incarceration after study enrollment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Psychiatry
Boston, Massachusetts, 02118
Casey Taft, PhD, 978-380-0576, taft@bu.edu
Samuel Frank, BA, 617-353-4123, sfra@bu.edu
About this study
Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. There currently exists very little evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of abuser intervention programs designed to prevent and end perpetration of IPV in the general population. This is troubling considering that approximately half a million men and women are court-mandated to these programs each year.
The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial evaluating the effectiveness of the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV). The overarching aim of this study is to determine whether outcomes achieved through SAH are non-inferior to those achieved through standard IPV interventions offered in the state of Washington (treatment as usual; TAU) among court-involved men who have used IPV.
Read more
The specific aims are:
1.1: Compare the frequency of physical and psychological IPV, the primary outcomes of interest, across conditions as reported by the male participants and their intimate partners across Time 1 (baseline) and four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that reductions in physical and psychological IPV perpetration observed in SAH will be non-inferior to those observed in TAU over the course of the year.
1.2: Compare symptoms of PTSD, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems across conditions and assessment time points as reported by the male participants. It is expected that reductions in PTSD symptoms, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems observed in SAH will be non-inferior to those observed in TAU over the course of the year.
1.3: Compare treatment satisfaction across conditions as reported by the male participants across the four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that treatment satisfaction in SAH will be comparable to or greater than treatment satisfaction in TAU.
- Conditions
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Being tested
- Strength at Home (SAH), Treatment as usual for IPV
- Keywords
- Strength at Home (SAH), Trauma-informed, Treatment as Usual (TAU), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Alcohol use, Washington state
- Medical subject headings
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Alcohol Drinking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Strength at Home (SAH)Behavioural
SAH is a group intervention that incorporates elements from interventions for violence and trauma. It is administered during 20 two-hour weekly sessions. The program uses a social information processing model based on the premise that trauma negatively impacts one's ability to interpret and respond to social situations effectively. It underscores the importance of cognitive behavioral strategies to monitor one's thoughts and responses to interpersonal situations.
Treatment as usual for IPVBehavioural
Treatment as usual for IPV includes court-mandated interventions that require a minimum of 26 two-hour weekly sessions in Washington State and often extend substantially longer.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Strength at Home (SAH) | Experimental | Participants randomized into this arm with receive a trauma-informed intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention program. Receives: Behavioral: Strength at Home (SAH) |
| Treatment as Usual (TAU) | Active comparator | Participants randomized into this arm with receive a standard IPV intervention program in the state of Washington. Receives: Behavioral: Treatment as usual for IPV |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
IPV assessment
The revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), a 20-item instrument, will be used to assess IPV. The Physical Assault (12 items) and Psychological Aggression (8 items) subscales will be administered. Each of the 20 items is scored by the frequency of occurrence of the item with 8 choices 1-7 and 0.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Psychological IPV assessment
The 7-item Restrictive Engulfment subscale of the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse (MMEA) will be used as an additional measure of psychological IPV. Each item has 7 potential responses from 0=never to 6= more than 20 times. Scores can range from 0 to 42, with higher scores being associated with more psychological IPV.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms
The 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM 5 (PCL-5) will be used to assess PTSD symptoms. It is a self-report measure. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale [0 to 4] and summed. Scores range from 0 to 80 with higher scores associated with more PTSD symptoms. A total score of 33 or higher may indicate severe PTSD.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Alcohol use
The 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) will be used to assess problem drinking behavior over the past six months, with higher scores reflecting greater alcohol misuse.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Alexithymia assessment
The 20-itemToronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) will be used to assess alexithymia. The TAS-20 uses cutoff scoring, with scores of 52-60 indicating possible alexithymia, and scores above 60 indicating alexithymia.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Treatment Satisfaction
Participants' satisfaction will be assessed with a 4-item measure used in a study conducted by the Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program.
Measured: 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jul 2024
- Study start18 Nov 2024
- Primary completionJul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJul 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Intimate Partner ViolenceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Single site, controlled trial. All participants will be randomized at the individual level to SAH or TAU, with a 1:1 allocation ratio.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 800 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Boston University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Office of Crime Victims Advocacy - Washington State Department of Commerce
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Casey Taft, PhD, Principal investigator, BU School of Medicine and National Center for PTSD
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06526247
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H-44938
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 23 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluating Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Use in Washington State
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06526247
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H-44938
- Conditions
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Keywords
- Strength at Home (SAH), Trauma-informed, Treatment as Usual (TAU), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Alcohol use, Washington state
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 800 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Boston UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Office of Crime Victims Advocacy - Washington State Department of Commerce
- Study start
- 18 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jul 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. There currently exists very little evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of abuser intervention programs designed to prevent and end perpetration of IPV in the general population. This is troubling considering that approximately half a million men and women are court-mandated to these programs each year.
The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial evaluating the effectiveness of the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV). The overarching aim of this study is to determine whether outcomes achieved through SAH are non-inferior to those achieved through standard IPV interventions offered in the state of Washington (treatment as usual; TAU) among court-involved men who have used IPV.
The specific aims are:
1.1: Compare the frequency of physical and psychological IPV, the primary outcomes of interest, across conditions as reported by the male participants and their intimate partners across Time 1 (baseline) and four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that reductions in physical and psychological IPV perpetration observed in SAH will be non-inferior to those observed in TAU over the course of the year.
1.2: Compare symptoms of PTSD, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems across conditions and assessment time points as reported by the male participants. It is expected that reductions in PTSD symptoms, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems observed in SAH will be non-inferior to those observed in TAU over the course of the year.
1.3: Compare treatment satisfaction across conditions as reported by the male participants across the four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that treatment satisfaction in SAH will be comparable to or greater than treatment satisfaction in TAU.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Single site, controlled trial. All participants will be randomized at the individual level to SAH or TAU, with a 1:1 allocation ratio.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Strength at Home (SAH) | Experimental | Behavioral: Strength at Home (SAH)Participants randomized into this arm with receive a trauma-informed intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention program. |
| Treatment as Usual (TAU) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Treatment as usual for IPVParticipants randomized into this arm with receive a standard IPV intervention program in the state of Washington. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Identify as a man
- Provide consent for the research team to contact his intimate partner(s) for data collection purposes;
- Court-referred for IPV intervention in Washington state
- Identify as a woman
- Were or currently are an intimate partner involved in an incident of IPV with a court-referred participant
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- demonstrates active psychosis that may interfere with their ability to participate in group
- expresses prominent suicidal or homicidal ideation that requires hospitalization
- does not possess proficiency in spoken English
- periods of incarceration after study enrollment
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Strength at Home (SAH)SAH is a group intervention that incorporates elements from interventions for violence and trauma. It is administered during 20 two-hour weekly sessions. The program uses a social information processing model based on the premise that trauma negatively impacts one's ability to interpret and respond to social situations effectively. It underscores the importance of cognitive behavioral strategies to monitor one's thoughts and responses to interpersonal situations. | Behavioural | Strength at Home (SAH) |
| Treatment as usual for IPVTreatment as usual for IPV includes court-mandated interventions that require a minimum of 26 two-hour weekly sessions in Washington State and often extend substantially longer. | Behavioural | Treatment as Usual (TAU) |
Primary outcome
IPV assessment
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
The revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), a 20-item instrument, will be used to assess IPV. The Physical Assault (12 items) and Psychological Aggression (8 items) subscales will be administered. Each of the 20 items is scored by the frequency of occurrence of the item with 8 choices 1-7 and 0.
Psychological IPV assessment
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
The 7-item Restrictive Engulfment subscale of the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse (MMEA) will be used as an additional measure of psychological IPV. Each item has 7 potential responses from 0=never to 6= more than 20 times. Scores can range from 0 to 42, with higher scores being associated with more psychological IPV.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
The 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM 5 (PCL-5) will be used to assess PTSD symptoms. It is a self-report measure. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale [0 to 4] and summed. Scores range from 0 to 80 with higher scores associated with more PTSD symptoms. A total score of 33 or higher may indicate severe PTSD.
Alcohol use
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
The 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) will be used to assess problem drinking behavior over the past six months, with higher scores reflecting greater alcohol misuse.
Alexithymia assessment
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
The 20-itemToronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) will be used to assess alexithymia. The TAS-20 uses cutoff scoring, with scores of 52-60 indicating possible alexithymia, and scores above 60 indicating alexithymia.
1 secondary outcome
Treatment Satisfaction
Time frame: 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Casey Taft, PhD principal investigator
BU School of Medicine and National Center for PTSD
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Strength at Home (SAH) and Treatment as usual for IPV in people with Intimate Partner Violence, run by Boston University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Casey Taft, PhD (978-380-0576, taft@bu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
IPV assessment (time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months. 9 months, 12 months). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Jun 2026.