Intervention Effect on Abused Women in Drug Treatment

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is an application for a Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23). Goals of the career development plan are to 1) develop scientific understanding in the area of women, substance abuse, psychiatric comorbidity including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and intimate partner violence (IPV), and 2) develop the research skills required to implement a cognitive behavioral (CB) intervention to reduce substance use, improve health outcomes, increase safety behaviors, and prevent further violence among women with a history of IPV. The CB intervention proposed, developed by Dr. Lisa Najavits from Harvard, was tested with women with PTSD in treatment for substance abuse. Specific aims for the research are to be implemented as two pilot studies. Aims for the first study are: 1) To compare the physical and mental health among substance abusing women with current IPV (within 1 year), history of IPV (beyond 1 year), and women without a history of physical or sexual violence; 2) To examine the relationship between type, recency, and severity of IPV, and baseline physical and mental health status in women with a history of IPV upon admission to substance abuse treatment. Aims for the second study are: 1) To adapt the proposed CB intervention for women with a history of current IPV in substance abuse treatment, 2) To obtain initial results of the modified CB intervention with women having a history of current IPV in treatment for substance abuse on: reducing substance use, improving health outcomes, increasing safety behaviors, and preventing further violence.