Applying NET to Intimate Partner Violence

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Using Narrative Exposure Therapy to treat women with a history of Intimate Partner Violence for post-traumatic stress: A series of single case studies.

  • IRAS ID

    229183

  • Contact name

    Thomas Schroder

  • Contact email

    thomas.schroder@nottingham.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Nottingham

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 10 months, 12 days

  • Research summary

    There is a lack of research investigating suitable psychological interventions treating Post-traumatic stress (PTS) in victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the outcomes and processes involved in treating PTS related difficulties in victims of IPV with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). NET was developed to treat PTSD arising from exposure to multiple traumatic events, such as organisational violence (e.g. war, genocide, sexual violence, torture or disasters) in refugee populations. Whilst NET was not originally intended for treating PTSD outside of organisational violence or disaster, the effective use of NET across heterogeneous samples highlights transferability across culture, gender and population. Furthermore, dropout rates of NET treatment are consistently low, suggesting this treatment has a high tolerability when compared with other trauma therapies which report high attrition rates of up to 41%. Therefore, this evidence has generated recommendations for the use of NET with other populations that have been exposed to multiple traumatic events, such as IPV.

    This study is looking to recruit female participants, who need to be eighteen years old or over. The participants will be offered NET for the treatment of their IPV related PTS. The study aims to conduct the research in two secondary care NHS sites (the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth and Step 4 Psychological Services). NET is already offered as part of routine clinical practice within the service sites. Both quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative data (change interview) from participants will be collected prior, during and after the intervention. This data will be used to examine if any change has occurred and whether this can be linked to the NET intervention. The study will last for 23 weeks for each participant (3-week baseline, 12-week intervention and change interview up to six weeks later).

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/YH/0377

  • Date of REC Opinion

    21 Dec 2017

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion