15 research outputs found
ADVANCE integrated group intervention to address both substance use and intimate partner abuse perpetration by men in substance use treatment: a feasibility randomised controlled trial
Background: Substance use is a risk factor for intimate partner abuse (IPA) perpetration. Delivering perpetrator
interventions concurrently with substance use treatment shows promise.
Methods: The feasibility of conducting an efficacy and cost-effectiveness trial of the ADVANCE 16-week
intervention to reduce IPA by men in substance use treatment was explored. A multicentre, parallel group
individually randomised controlled feasibility trial and formative evaluation was conducted. Over three temporal
cycles, 104 men who had perpetrated IPA towards a female (ex) partner in the past year were randomly allocated
to receive the ADVANCE intervention + substance use treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 54) or TAU only (n = 50) and
assessed 16-weeks post-randomisation. Participantsâ (ex) partners were offered support and 27 provided outcome
data. Thirty-one staff and 12 men who attended the intervention participated in focus groups or interviews that
were analysed using the framework approach. Pre-specified criteria assessed the feasibility of progression to a
definitive trial: 1) â„ 60% of eligible male participants recruited; 2) intervention acceptable to staff and male
participants; 3) â„ 70% of participants followed-up and 4) levels of substance use and 5) IPA perpetrated by men in
the intervention arm did not increase from average baseline level at 16-weeks post-randomisation.
Results: 70.7% (104/147) of eligible men were recruited. The formative evaluation confirmed the interventionâs
acceptability. Therapeutic alliance and session satisfaction were rated highly. The overall median rate of intervention
session attendance (of 14 compulsory sessions) was 28.6% (range 14.3â64.3% by the third cycle). 49.0% (51/104) of
men and 63.0% (17/27) of their (ex) partners were followed-up 16-weeks post-randomisation. This increased to
100% of men and women by cycle three. At follow-up, neither substance use nor IPA perpetration had worsened
for men in the intervention arm.
Conclusions: It was feasible to deliver the ADVANCE intervention in substance use treatment services, although it
proved difficult to collect data from female (ex)partners. While some progression criteria were met, others were not,
although improvements were demonstrated by the third cycle. Lessons learned will be implemented into the study
design for a definitive trial of the ADVANCE intervention