Seeking Safety at a Women's Centre (v1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Seeking Safety at a Women's Centre: The Experiences of Women with Problematic Substance Use and Trauma Histories
IRAS ID
218163
Contact name
Amina Hussain
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 10 months, 4 days
Research summary
There are several different interventions which are aimed towards either treating trauma or substance misuse alone, however it is increasingly becoming apparent that these two disorders can often present concurrently, making treatment more challenging. Few therapies exist where trauma and substance misuse are treated simultaneously, nevertheless, Seeking Safety (SS), is one therapy which purports to do just that (Najavits, 2002). Originally developed for use with women, the focus of SS is on the impact of traumatic stress on an individual’s current functioning and its relationship to substance and alcohol use, utilising psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioural techniques to boost current coping strategies. The intervention has been delivered in group and individual formats. Furthermore, there is a growing evidence-base for its use with different populations, in a variety of settings.
Although the literature suggests that SS is a valuable therapy, much of the research that has been conducted already has utilised quantitative methods to compare scores on a range of assessments pre- and post-treatment. Consequently, the current research proposal intends to employ qualitative methods, namely Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), to explore how women taking part in SS make sense of their experience and what their understanding of the process of change is. Scores on quantitative outcome measures taken as part of the usual SS group process will also be accessed, with participant consent, in order to help the researcher further understand the difficulties experienced by the participants.
SS is being delivered at Anawim, a women’s centre in Birmingham. The proposed research will aim to conduct semi-structured interviews with approximately eight women from the group. Recruitment of participants will be based upon referrals from a local collaborator of the group for women who have shown an interest in taking part in the research.
Najavits, L. M. (2002). Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse. New York: Guildford Press.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0215
Date of REC Opinion
7 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion