Interpersonal ViolencePARTS-IPVNCT06765122
Program for Alleviating and Reducing Trauma and Stress for Intimate Partner Violence
A study testing Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB) in people with Interpersonal Violence, run by Cambridge Health Alliance at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This research study investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a group-based treatment program for reducing stress, trauma, substance use, and use of violence among individuals who were court-mandated to attend a program after committing an act(s) of domestic violence. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, men only
- Conditions the study is for
- Interpersonal Violence
- What is being tested?
- Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 16 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 14 Jan 2025to 30 Jun 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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
- Men only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Must be male-identifying or prefer to be in a male-identifying group; Must be a resident of Washington state; Must be court-referred to a treatment program for using violence with an intimate partner; Have sufficient English fluency and literacy skills to understand the consent process, procedures and questionnaires and have the ability to provide written informed consent; Have access to the internet and an electronic device with adequate data capacity; to complete questionnaires online and attend online video conference groups; Must be available and willing to attend 17 out of 20 scheduled online group sessions; and Must be available and willing to complete the online computerized assessments and phone interviews.
Who cannot join
- Insufficiently stable housing or internet connection to be able to join at least 17 sessions; Current participation in another experimental research study; Expected medical hospitalization in the next six months from study enrollment period; Current or expected physical incarceration in the next six months from study enrollment period; Inpatient hospitalization for mental health, substance use, suicide attempt or self-harm within past three months; Inability to participate safely in the study intervention and without disrupting the group (in the opinion of principal investigator OR meeting any of the following criteria) Past year history of a psychotic disorder or clinician confirmed active psychosis assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); Bipolar I disorder history or current severe level of mania assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); Acute suicidality with intent will be excluded from the study (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 [SCID-5]); High levels of Psychopathy as defined by self-report psychopathy checklist (SRP-4); Self-injurious behavior in past three months will require clinical assessment prior to participation in the program; Acute homicidality with plan and/or intent; Severe personality disorder with clinical history that would suggest potential disruptions within the group as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); and/or Inability to join a group without intoxication.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
United States2 sites
Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion
Malden, Massachusetts, 02148
Waterland Counseling
Tumwater, Washington, 98512
About this study
This research study investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a group-based treatment program for reducing stress, trauma, substance use, and use of violence among individuals who were court-mandated to attend a program after committing an act(s) of domestic violence.
Read the detailed description
Our program is adapted from the original PARTS (Program For Alleviating and Reducing Trauma and Stress). And will include unique and specific elements for People who Use Violence (PUV) in intimate relationships. PARTS-IPV is structured in three phases. Phase I is 4-weeks of 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This phase introduces the model and creates a "brave container" to address any ambivalence towards the program. Phase II lasts 8-weeks, maintaining the 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This second phase focuses on "unblending" through working with Parts and connecting with Self. The final phase, Phase III runs 8 weeks and consists of weekly 120-minute group sessions focused "unburdening". Throughout the intervention, individual sessions will be help with an IFS-trained clinician at a frequency of around once a month for a total of 6 individual sessions. These sessions will focus on enhancing group participation, providing space for trauma counseling and unburdening, addressing negative beliefs or concerns that may arise about group, and providing insights into person reasons for the use of violence in intimate relationships. Participants may have up to 3 additional sessions to make up any missed group sessions.
This project is an important and timely pilot study. Previous reviews of interventions suggest there is a gap in effective interventions to treat IPV for those with trauma backgrounds (Cheng et al., 2021; Travers et al. 2021). PARTS1, PARTS2 and PARTS SUD have all demonstrated effective reductions in PTSD symptoms and enhanced emotion regulation and self-related processing (Comeau et al. 2024; Ally et al., submitted; Schuman-Olivier et al., in progress). The protocol's methodology follows previous intimate partner violence studies, incorporating verbal consent and partner inclusion, while employing rigorously implemented informed consent procedures and gold-standard measures to enhance the likelihood of success and publication. By incorporating the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (DERS) and a WHO-5 for quality of life, we aim to address gaps in understanding the comprehensive factors contributing to intimate partner violence.
Primary Aim
The primary aim of this protocol is feasibility of a live-online version of the PARTS program. Feasibility is defined in two ways: intervention-based feasibility: 70% of participants completing at least 67% (e.g., 8/12) of the first 12 groups, study-protocol feasibility as 67% or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments (H1.1).
Secondary Aims The secondary aims are to examine the overall acceptability of the intervention as measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) (Larsen et al., 1979) with a mean score of at least 20 out of a total of 32 (H2.1), and intervention satisfaction as measured by a satisfaction question (would you recommend a friend) obtaining at least a mean of 7 out of 10 (H2.2).
A third secondary aim of the study is to investigate the potential effects of the intervention on the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) (Straus et al., 1996; Chapman \& Gillespie, 2019). We hypothesize a risk reduction in physical and psychological violence, with an a priori expectation of obtaining a small to moderate effect size (Cohen's d: 0.2-0.5) from self-reports (H2.3). This effect size aligns with a comparably powered study, Strength at Home, among court-mandated civilians (N=23), which reported moderate effect sizes on CTS2.
- Conditions
- Interpersonal Violence
- Being tested
- Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)
- Keywords
- Interpersonal Violence, domestic violence, Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress, Internal Family Systems (IFS)
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)Behavioural
Also called PARTS-IPV
PARTS-NB (Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors) is a group-based program for people who use violence and aggression in intimate relationships. Phase I is 4-weeks of 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions focused on clarifying the way parts work in the mind, increasing inner compassion and emotion regulation, and explaining the role of trauma and stress in substance use and the use of violence in relationships. Phase II lasts 8-weeks, maintaining the 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This phase introduces the model and focuses on practicing "unblending," helping individuals gain awareness and acceptance of internal and external experiences. The final phase, Phase III runs 8 weeks and consists of weekly 120-minute group sessions which addresses and releases trauma-based beliefs and experiences through a process called "unburdening."
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| PARTS-NB | Experimental | All study participants will be in the PARTS-NB arm and go through the treatment program called "Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors". Receives: Behavioral: Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of Intervention
Intervention-based feasibility: 67% (e.g., 8/12) of participants completing at least 67% (e.g., 8/12) of the first 12 groups, study protocol feasibility as 67% (e.g., 8/12) or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments.
Measured: At 12 and 20 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Acceptability of Intervention
Mean score of 20 on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) general acceptability item.
Measured: At 12 and 20 weeks
Intervention Satisfaction
Mean >7.0 of 10 on willingness to refer a friend on Satisfaction Questionnaire
Measured: At 12 and 20 weeks
Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2)
A 78-item self-report scale measuring conflict tactics that are used in relationships
Measured: Change from Baseline to 12 and 20 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Jan 2025
- Study start14 Jan 2025
- Primary completion30 Jun 2025
- Study completion30 Jun 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Interpersonal 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cambridge Health Alliance
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Washington State Department of Commerce Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, Boston University
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD, Principal investigator, Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06765122
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CHA-IRB-24-25-352
- Acronym
- PARTS-IPV
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Taft CT, Franz MR, Cole HE, D'Avanzato C, Rothman EF. Examining strength at home for preventing intimate partner violence in civilians. J Fam Psychol. 2021 Sep;35(6):857-862. doi: 10.1037/fam0000732. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
PubMed 33734765Comeau A, Smith LJ, Smith L, Soumerai Rea H, Ward MC, Creedon TB, Sweezy M, Rosenberg LG, Schuman-Olivier Z. Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychol Trauma. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 3):S636-S640. doi: 10.1037/tra0001688. Epub 2024 Jun 27.
PubMed 38934934
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Program for Alleviating and Reducing Trauma and Stress for Intimate Partner Violence
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06765122
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PARTS-IPV / CHA-IRB-24-25-352
- Conditions
- Interpersonal Violence
- Keywords
- Interpersonal Violence, domestic violence, Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress, Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Cambridge Health AllianceUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Washington State Department of Commerce Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, Boston University
- Study start
- 14 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Jan 2025 (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.
This research study investigates the feasibility and acceptability of a group-based treatment program for reducing stress, trauma, substance use, and use of violence among individuals who were court-mandated to attend a program after committing an act(s) of domestic violence.
Detailed description
Our program is adapted from the original PARTS (Program For Alleviating and Reducing Trauma and Stress). And will include unique and specific elements for People who Use Violence (PUV) in intimate relationships. PARTS-IPV is structured in three phases. Phase I is 4-weeks of 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This phase introduces the model and creates a "brave container" to address any ambivalence towards the program. Phase II lasts 8-weeks, maintaining the 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This second phase focuses on "unblending" through working with Parts and connecting with Self. The final phase, Phase III runs 8 weeks and consists of weekly 120-minute group sessions focused "unburdening". Throughout the intervention, individual sessions will be help with an IFS-trained clinician at a frequency of around once a month for a total of 6 individual sessions. These sessions will focus on enhancing group participation, providing space for trauma counseling and unburdening, addressing negative beliefs or concerns that may arise about group, and providing insights into person reasons for the use of violence in intimate relationships. Participants may have up to 3 additional sessions to make up any missed group sessions.
This project is an important and timely pilot study. Previous reviews of interventions suggest there is a gap in effective interventions to treat IPV for those with trauma backgrounds (Cheng et al., 2021; Travers et al. 2021). PARTS1, PARTS2 and PARTS SUD have all demonstrated effective reductions in PTSD symptoms and enhanced emotion regulation and self-related processing (Comeau et al. 2024; Ally et al., submitted; Schuman-Olivier et al., in progress). The protocol's methodology follows previous intimate partner violence studies, incorporating verbal consent and partner inclusion, while employing rigorously implemented informed consent procedures and gold-standard measures to enhance the likelihood of success and publication. By incorporating the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (DERS) and a WHO-5 for quality of life, we aim to address gaps in understanding the comprehensive factors contributing to intimate partner violence.
Primary Aim
The primary aim of this protocol is feasibility of a live-online version of the PARTS program. Feasibility is defined in two ways: intervention-based feasibility: 70% of participants completing at least 67% (e.g., 8/12) of the first 12 groups, study-protocol feasibility as 67% or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments (H1.1).
Secondary Aims The secondary aims are to examine the overall acceptability of the intervention as measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) (Larsen et al., 1979) with a mean score of at least 20 out of a total of 32 (H2.1), and intervention satisfaction as measured by a satisfaction question (would you recommend a friend) obtaining at least a mean of 7 out of 10 (H2.2).
A third secondary aim of the study is to investigate the potential effects of the intervention on the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) (Straus et al., 1996; Chapman \& Gillespie, 2019). We hypothesize a risk reduction in physical and psychological violence, with an a priori expectation of obtaining a small to moderate effect size (Cohen's d: 0.2-0.5) from self-reports (H2.3). This effect size aligns with a comparably powered study, Strength at Home, among court-mandated civilians (N=23), which reported moderate effect sizes on CTS2.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| PARTS-NB | Experimental | Behavioral: Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)All study participants will be in the PARTS-NB arm and go through the treatment program called "Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors". |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Must be male-identifying or prefer to be in a male-identifying group; Must be a resident of Washington state; Must be court-referred to a treatment program for using violence with an intimate partner; Have sufficient English fluency and literacy skills to understand the consent process, procedures and questionnaires and have the ability to provide written informed consent; Have access to the internet and an electronic device with adequate data capacity; to complete questionnaires online and attend online video conference groups; Must be available and willing to attend 17 out of 20 scheduled online group sessions; and Must be available and willing to complete the online computerized assessments and phone interviews.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Insufficiently stable housing or internet connection to be able to join at least 17 sessions; Current participation in another experimental research study; Expected medical hospitalization in the next six months from study enrollment period; Current or expected physical incarceration in the next six months from study enrollment period; Inpatient hospitalization for mental health, substance use, suicide attempt or self-harm within past three months; Inability to participate safely in the study intervention and without disrupting the group (in the opinion of principal investigator OR meeting any of the following criteria) Past year history of a psychotic disorder or clinician confirmed active psychosis assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); Bipolar I disorder history or current severe level of mania assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); Acute suicidality with intent will be excluded from the study (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 [SCID-5]); High levels of Psychopathy as defined by self-report psychopathy checklist (SRP-4); Self-injurious behavior in past three months will require clinical assessment prior to participation in the program; Acute homicidality with plan and/or intent; Severe personality disorder with clinical history that would suggest potential disruptions within the group as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); and/or Inability to join a group without intoxication.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB)Also: PARTS-IPVPARTS-NB (Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors) is a group-based program for people who use violence and aggression in intimate relationships. Phase I is 4-weeks of 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions focused on clarifying the way parts work in the mind, increasing inner compassion and emotion regulation, and explaining the role of trauma and stress in substance use and the use of violence in relationships. Phase II lasts 8-weeks, maintaining the 120 minutes of weekly group-based sessions. This phase introduces the model and focuses on practicing "unblending," helping individuals gain awareness and acceptance of internal and external experiences. The final phase, Phase III runs 8 weeks and consists of weekly 120-minute group sessions which addresses and releases trauma-based beliefs and experiences through a process called "unburdening." | Behavioural | PARTS-NB |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of Intervention
Time frame: At 12 and 20 weeks
Intervention-based feasibility: 67% (e.g., 8/12) of participants completing at least 67% (e.g., 8/12) of the first 12 groups, study protocol feasibility as 67% (e.g., 8/12) or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments.
3 secondary outcomes
Acceptability of Intervention
Time frame: At 12 and 20 weeks
Intervention Satisfaction
Time frame: At 12 and 20 weeks
Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2)
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 12 and 20 weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Apr 2026.
- Background: PubMed 33734765Taft CT, Franz MR, Cole HE, D'Avanzato C, Rothman EF. Examining strength at home for preventing intimate partner violence in civilians. J Fam Psychol. 2021 Sep;35(6):857-862. doi: 10.1037/fam0000732. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
- Background: PubMed 38934934Comeau A, Smith LJ, Smith L, Soumerai Rea H, Ward MC, Creedon TB, Sweezy M, Rosenberg LG, Schuman-Olivier Z. Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychol Trauma. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 3):S636-S640. doi: 10.1037/tra0001688. Epub 2024 Jun 27.
- 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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD principal investigator
Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors (PARTS-NB) in people with Interpersonal Violence, run by Cambridge Health Alliance at 2 sites 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 1 inclusion and 1 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility of Intervention (time frame: At 12 and 20 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06765122, which also lists 2 linked publications.
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 2 Apr 2026.