Testing the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic treatment approach in reducing violence and alcohol abuse among families in Zambia: study protocol of the Violence and Alcohol Treatment (VATU) trial

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an urgent global health problem. Root causes for VAWG include the individual- and family-level factors of alcohol abuse, mental health problems, violence exposure, and related adverse experiences. Few studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Global mental health Vol. 4; p. e18
Main Authors:	Kane, J. C., Skavenski Van Wyk, S., Murray, S. M., Bolton, P., Melendez, F., Danielson, C. K., Chimponda, P., Munthali, S., Murray, L. K.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 2017
Subjects:	Alcohol common elements treatment approach Interventions intimate partner violence IPV low- and middle-income country randomized clinical trial Trial Protocol low- and middle-income country intimate partner violence Alcohol randomized clinical trial common elements treatment approach interventions
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an urgent global health problem. Root causes for VAWG include the individual- and family-level factors of alcohol abuse, mental health problems, violence exposure, and related adverse experiences. Few studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have assessed the effectiveness of psychological interventions for reducing VAWG. This randomized controlled trial, part of the consortium, examines the effectiveness of a common elements treatment approach (CETA) for reducing VAWG and comorbid alcohol abuse among families in Zambia. Study participants are families consisting of three persons: an adult woman, her male husband or partner, and one of her children aged 8-17 (if available). Eligibility criteria include experience of moderate-to-severe intimate partner violence by the woman and hazardous alcohol use by her male partner. Family units are randomized to receive CETA or treatment as usual. The primary outcome is VAWG as measured by the Severity of Violence Against Women Scale, assessed along with secondary outcomes at 24 months post-baseline. Interim assessments are also conducted at 4-5 months (following CETA completion) and 12 months post-baseline. This ongoing trial is one of the first in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate the use of an evidence-based common elements approach for reducing VAWG by targeting a range of individual- and family-level factors, including alcohol abuse. Results of this trial will inform policy on what interventions work to prevent VAWG in LMIC with local perspectives on scale up and wider implementation.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2054-4251 2054-4251
DOI:	10.1017/gmh.2017.10