The proposed stage 1 intervention development study is designed to address two significant co-occurring issues for fathers with substance abuse (SA) problems: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM). SA treatment programs are an important avenue to reduce family violence because SA treatment alone does not result in an end to these behaviors. Currently available interventions have had little success in reducing male IPV. Fathers for Change, an integrated outpatient intervention, shows promise as an intervention model targeting the intersection of SA, IPV, and CM. The intervention uses men's roles as fathers as a motivation for change and targets factors that are known to trigger SA, IPV and CM: hostile cognitions and poor emotion regulation. An intervention of this sort has not been integrated and tested as part of a residential substance abuse program for men. This project is a pilot study of 60 fathers randomly assigned to Fathers for Change or a Parent Education Program (PE) comparison. The initial feasibility of the Fathers for Change will be assessed by comparing it to PE in the areas of: participant completion rates, hostile cognitions, emotion regulation, SA relapse, IPV, and CM risk behaviors (negative parenting). Change in hostile cognitions and emotion regulation will be examined as the mechanisms through which Fathers for Change reduces relapse, IPV and CM risk behaviors.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
62
Westcare Inc. Davis Bradley Building
St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
Hostile Thoughts on the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations Task
Hostile Thinking coded from audio recorded transcripts. Participants are presented with 4 scenarios in which they are asked to respond verbally their thoughts about a given situation. The scenarios present incidents that could induce feelings of jealousy, anger, abandonment, or disrespect. These are coded for number of hostile cognitions by trained blind coders and summed for a total score. The range of scores is 0 to 28 . Higher scores mean greater hostile cognitions (worse outcome).
Time frame: Baseline and intervention completion around 16 weeks
Change in Total Score of the Difficulties With Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
Emotion regulation difficulties are measured using this standardized self-report measure and a total score is calculated by summing the items. Score range is 0 to 180 with higher scores meaning worse outcome. Change over time is reported as the slope.
Time frame: Baseline, intervention completion around 16 weeks, and 3 month post intervention around week 28
Change in Number of Domestic Violence Episodes on the Timeline Follow-Back Calendars
Domestic Violence including physical and psychological aggression episodes across the length of followup. Higher scores mean more violence. Scores can range from 0 to 210 days. Change over time is reported as the slope.
Time frame: Baseline through 3 month follow-up after intervention
Change in Total Score on the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory
Overall score is indicator of maltreatment risk. A total score is calculated by summing the 5 scales with lower scores indicating greater risk for maltreatment. The range of scores is from 40 to 200. Change over time is reported as the slope.
Time frame: Baseline, intervention completion around 16 weeks, and 3 month post intervention around week 28
Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale
Brief Coparenting score which is calculated from a sum of 14 scale items. Scores range from 0 to 84 with higher scores indicating better coparenting. Change over time is reported as the slope.
Time frame: Baseline, intervention completion around 16 weeks, and 3 month post intervention around week 28
Change in Days of Substance Use Reported on the Time Line Follow-Back Calendars
Number of days of substance use over the course of the study. Higher scores equal more days of substance use. Possible range of scores was from 0 to 210 days. Change over time is reported as the slope.
Time frame: At intervention completion (around week 16) and 3 months post intervention (at around 28 weeks)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.