Partner Violence and Anger Management

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01653860
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: July 31, 2012
• Last Update Posted: November 3, 2020
• Sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• Collaborators: St. Olavs Hospital; Karolinska Institutet
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the Brøset anger management model in reducing violent behavior amongst clients who are violent in intimate partnerships and who voluntarily seek help.

Violence in intimate partnerships constitutes a serious problem worldwide and there is reason to believe that cognitive behavior therapy has some effect on the reduction of violent behavior. However, there are currently too few randomized controlled studies to conclude about the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for this client group.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Domestic Violence; Spouse Abuse	Behavioral: The Brøset anger management model; Behavioral: Ordinary group treatment	Not Applicable

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 185 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)
• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Official Title: Partner Violence and Anger Management: a Randomised Controlled Study of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Actual Study Start Date: July 2012
• Actual Primary Completion Date: May 4, 2018
• Actual Study Completion Date: May 4, 2018

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: The Brøset anger management model; Group treatment	Behavioral: The Brøset anger management model; manualised structured cognitive treatment program 15 weeks (30 hours)
Active Comparator: ordinary group treatment; Group treatment	Behavioral: Ordinary group treatment; group treatment 8 weeks (16 hours)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. violent behaviour, reported by partner and client [ Time Frame: 3 months between assessments, 1 year duration, i.e. baseline and 4 follow-up assessments. In accordance with the original Norwegian protocol. ]
   measured by using the Conflict Tactics Scale Revised (CTS2), instrument for measuring violence in intimate partnerships(10), which consists of 78 questions (0-7) about different aspects of violence (frequence of physical, psychological, sexual and material violence)

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. The client's and their partner's mental health [ Time Frame: 3 months between assessments, 1 year duration, i.e. baseline and 4 follow-up assessments. In accordance with the original Norwegian protocol. ]
   measured by using the Hopkins Symptoms Check List (HSCL-25, with 25 questions about the presence and intensity of anxiety and depression symptoms, and symptoms of somatoform character)
2. The client's and their partner's health service use and absence due to sickness [ Time Frame: 3 months between assessments, 1 year duration, i.e. baseline and 4 follow-up assessments. In accordance with the original Norwegian protocol. ]
3. Changes in emotional dysregulation [ Time Frame: 3 months between assessments, 1 year duration, i.e. baseline and 4 follow-up assessments. In accordance with the original Norwegian protocol. ]
   Emotional regulation will be assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS, Gratz & Roemer, 2004).

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: Male
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• fluent in Norwegian language
• is in a partner relationship at inclusion. Partner relationship is defined by having an intimate partner at present, or being in regular contact with a former intimate partner so that violence is possible (e.g. they have children)
• admits being violent to his partner (physical, mental and/or sexual)

Exclusion Criteria:

• psychosis
• alcohol- or drug addiction to a level that hinders group participation free from intoxication.

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Norway

St Olavs University Hospital, Division of Psychiatry, Centre for research and education in forensic psychiatry Brøset

Trondheim, Norway, 7440

Sponsors and Collaborators

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

St. Olavs Hospital

Karolinska Institutet

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Tom Palmstierna, MD PhD prof; Norwegian University of Science and Technology

More Information

Publications of Results:

Nesset MB, Lara-Cabrera ML, Bjorngaard JH, Whittington R, Palmstierna T. Cognitive behavioural group therapy versus mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy for intimate partner violence: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 19;20(1):178. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02582-4.

Nesset MB, Bjorngaard JH, Whittington R, Palmstierna T. Does cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness-based therapy improve mental health and emotion regulation among men who perpetrate intimate partner violence? A randomised controlled trial. Int J Nurs Stud. 2021 Jan;113:103795. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103795. Epub 2020 Oct 14.

• Responsible Party: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01653860
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2012/683
• First Posted: July 31, 2012
• Last Update Posted: November 3, 2020
• Last Verified: November 2020

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No

Keywords provided by Norwegian University of Science and Technology:

Behavior therapy; Group therapy