Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of strength at home in Israel: A trauma informed intervention for intimate partner violence based on a social-information processing model

Background: The social information processing (SIP) model of trauma and intimate partner violence (IPV), which emphasizes the impact of trauma on one's ability to accurately process social information and subsequent failure to generate and enact nonaggressive responses, has gained attention in the United States. Recent clinical trial evidence suggests that the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention, a 12-session program that is based on this model, is efficacious in reducing and ending abusive behavior among U.S. veterans. However, such a clinical trial has yet to be conducted among a civilian population nor in a different cultural context (e.g., Israel). This paper describes the methods of a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of SAH compared to a treatment as usual comparison condition in Israel.

Methods: 300 men referred (court-, clinically-, and self-referred) to IPV intervention from adult outpatient clinics at Social Affairs and Social Services offices in Israel will be randomly assigned to the SAH intervention or a treatment-as-usual comparison group. Outcomes are measured at six timepoints (baseline, post-treatment, and four 3-month follow-ups). The primary outcome is use of IPV; however, we will also examine reductions in SIP deficits. Secondary outcomes include symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety, and changes in emotion regulation strategies.

Conclusion: Study findings will determine the efficacy of SAH in a civilian population and in a different cultural context. Additionally, findings will determine whether SIP is a mechanism of change for such intervention.